Monday, December 10, 2018

Farmer who sent earnings to PMO in protest asked to make online transfer


Sanjay Sathe from Nashik, Maharashtra sent Rs 1,064 earned after selling 750 kg onions at a huge loss, had sent it through a money order to Prime Minister's Relief Fund.


Sanjay Sathe, a farmer in Maharashtra earned only Rs 1,064 after selling 750 kg onions and sent his earnings through a money order to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. In an usual turn of events, the PMO returned his money order, reported Dainik Bhaskar today.

The farmer was surprised when instead of getting some relief, the PMO suggested that he transfer the money using online banking.

The PMO replied that they don't accept money orders. Sathe told Dainik Bhaskar that he hoped the money he sent would help farmers in some way.

Earlier, Sathe had taken a tractor load of around 750 kg onion to the Niphad Agriculture Produce Market Committee wholesale market last week and was shocked to get just Rs 1.41/kg, or Rs 1,064 for the entire lot of 7.5 quintals.

This is because of the steep downward trend in onion prices in the wholesale market due to a variety of factors, prompting farmers to offload their stocks at virtually throwaway rates.

Piqued by the unexpectedly low price he secured, which failed to cover his cultivation costs, Sathe decided to register his grievance by donating the entire amount online to the PMRF, for which he shelled out an additional Rs 54 as money transfer fee.

Anticipating a poor response, he had carried a placard on his tractor proclaiming he had no ulterior political motives, but intended to donate the full onion sale proceeds to the PMRF only to highlight the onion farmers' plight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


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