Navi Mumbai: Upset over the fact that the farmers’ strike and the Maharashtra bandh have not affected the city, the Maratha Kranti Morcha has planned a Navi Mumbai bandh on June 12.
“We have decided to have the bandh on June 12 and we are working towards it. We have support from the MNS and the Peasants and Workers Party, and we will soon be officially declaring it after a meeting with farmers,” said Vinod Pokharkar of Maratha Kranti Morcha in Navi Mumbai. “Till June 5, the maximum supply of vegetables to the city was from outside the state. From June 6, some of the farmers started sending since they have no other option. Not all farmers are rich, and most of them have a hand-to-mouth survival for which they cannot afford to face more losses. We will be asking farmers to not send their supplies on June 12 and the ones that will be sent from outside will be stopped by us. The city should also participate in this fight for the farmers.”
Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Belapur, Manda Mhatre, visited the APMC on Wednesday and met farmers and traders. “Most of the farmers had thought that the strike would get over in two days, but since it did not, they started sending their supplies as they feared with the onset of monsoon, their vegetables would go stale. I have assured them that the Chief Minister will do the needful. I have also assured a meeting between traders and the Chief Minister to discuss their problems,” she said.
On Wednesday, APMC witnessed the maximum supply of vegetables ever since the strike began. The prices of most of the vegetables went down. A total of 1,781 trucks arrived at the market of which 676 were of vegetables, 513 fruits, 241 grains, 157 onions, 57 potato, 7 garlic, and 133 trucks of spices. Of the 676 trucks, around 80% were from different parts of the State. Nashik and parts of Pune did not send supplies.
