Amitabh Bachchan Helps Farmers

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan came to the rescue of around 114 farmers in Maharashtra’s Wardha district, when he repaid their debt of about Rs 30 Lacs in total.

The farmers belonging to at least 20 villages, who got the help from Mr Amitabh Bachchan were selected by members of the Rotary Club of Gandhi City Wardha and Rotary Club of Mumbai.

Reports suggest that when Mr Amitabh Bachchan expressed his wish to help these farmers, the members of the Rotary Club of Gandhi City Wardha and Rotary Club of Mumbai after scrutinizing a list of farmers, made a list of around 300 farmers, who could need Mr. Amitabh Bachchan’s help to pay their debt.

But to be on the safe side, rather than totally depending on the list sent to him, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan decided to get the list verified by his own representatives and shortlisted around 114 farmers, whom he felt really needed help. Whereas cheques to 90 of those 114 farmers were delivered this week, the remaining 24 farmers will be helped shortly.

Former President of Rotary Club of Gandhi City Wardha, Mahesh Makolkar, who also helped in shortlisting the farmers said, “Around 90 farmers were handed over the cheques at a ceremony. We have made arrangements to deliver the cheques of those farmers who were unable to attend the ceremony,”

Apart from the help they got, the farmers of these 22 villages will now also be talking about who gave them this help.

In our country thousands of farmers commit suicide every year and till now our government is unable to stop farmer’s suicide. At such time Amitabh Bachchan’s help to bail out farmers from debt is laudable.

Now the farmers of Wardha want to meet his benefactor Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan has done it earlier too for the farmers of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Though Amitabh Bachchan himself was not present during the cheque distribution, but he told Nagpur Times, “I’m moved by the plight of farmers across India. What is disturbing is news that farmers in many parts of our country are committing suicide because they are unable to pay back paltry loans of 10,000. When a farmer ends his life, he also orphans his entire family.”

Hope more superstars can follow Amiabh Bachchan’s philanthropic nature apart from his acting skills.