Congress leader's organisation to adopt 208 farmer families

The Foundation known as Padma Bhushan Dr Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil will be launched on June 15 and has decided to adopt distressed farmer families from Ahmednagar district.

Mumbai: A non-governmental organisation led by Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra is all set to adopt 208 farmer families, whose sole bread winners have committed suicide owing to agrarian crisis in the region.

This Foundation known as Padma Bhushan Dr Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil will be launched on June 15 and has decided to adopt distressed farmer families from Ahmednagar district, its Chief Executive Officer Sujay Vikhe Patil said.

Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, a former Union minister was a visionary and engaged in several social works. The veteran Congressman's son Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is presently Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. He has served as the Agriculture minister in the previous Congress-NCP regime.

The initiative will commence on his birthday (June 15), Sujay said adding various social programs are organised every year on the occasion.

The Foundation will provide aide to the wife, parents and children of 208 farmer families in Ahmednagar district, he said.

It will take care of education, marriage and health-care needs of these families. It will also try to provide a source of income by supporting the family to start a business or secure a job, he said.

These are families that are already covered under some government scheme. "However, we conducted a survey in the last two months across the district and realised that the state government's aide was insufficient. Hence we decided to chip in and fill the gap," he said.

On Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil's absence from the farmers' stir scene, Sujay said, "My father got injured during the last phase of the Sangharsh Yatra, organised by Congress and NCP across the state.

Doctors have advised him to avoid any stress and movement for sometime. Hence, he can not participate personally but he has extended his support to the farmers' cause."