The NAAM Foundation has decided to extend its activities to other states and will be building schools there for children of defence personnel killed in action.
The foundation established by actors Nana Patekar and Makrand Anaspure has been active since September 2015 and works for upliftment of families of those farmers who committed suicide in Maharashtra due to crop failure and loan burden.
“The foundation will build schools for children of the jawans (army and para-military force personnel) in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya,” said Anaspure in an interview at the Rambhau Mhalgi lecture series last night.
He said, “Last year deaths of many jawans took place and we find that there is a dire need for schools in these states. Hence NAAM has decided to extend its activities there.”
Describing the work done by NAAM, he said “Due to desilting work done in villages around 20 lakh farmers stood to benefit. At least this year we hope the farmers will not suffer.”
“We want that farmers should stop ending their lives due to failure of crops and heavy debts, also the support price of anything be it crops or cotton is the main issue which needs to be solved,” said Anaspure.
He added, “Such is the situation in some parts of the state that micro finance firms charge as much as 35 per cent interest and just squeeze the farmers.”
The actor said, ‘NAAM plans to organise market camps for the sale of pulses and other materials in the coming months to lend a helping hand to farmers in parts of the state who have been facing hardships.”
