MLA ends Sholay'esque protest after CM's assurance

DNA - India - MLA ends Sholay'esque protest after CM's assurance - Daily News & Analysis: "Loan-waiver, hike in import duty on cotton to 60 percent and the disbursement of Rs.5,000 per hectare to the cotton growers besides completion of the long-pending irrigation projects were the main demands of farmers that Kadu had put forth before the government.

Filling up nearly 17,000 vacant posts in the rural sector of the state and inclusion of gram and oilseeds as part of the agro-process industry were two other demands that the legislator had raised.

The deputy chief minister assured Kadu he will take up the issue of hike in import duty on cotton with Pawar within three days and reiterated the state government's position that it was ready to waive farmers' loans provided the central government shared part of the burden.

A decision to give an amount of dole to cotton growers is on the anvil, the process of filling the vacant posts would be initiated soon and the demand pertaining to the agro-process industry would be met, Patil said. "