Seek corporate aid to help farmers: Bombay High Court

The state government on Thursday informed the Bombay high court that almost 1,000 farmers committed suicide across the state between 2013 and 2015. The court has suggested to the government to consider asking corporates to adopt villages and use their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for welfare of farmers.

The division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Girish Kulkarni also asked the government pleader to go through high court order of 2006 which had asked the government to increase the financial assistance to farmers’ families who have committed suicide from Rs 1 lakh.

The court suggested this when the government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani informed the bench that Rs 19.34 crore have been given as financial assistance to farmers till October 2015.

The bench was hearing a suo motu (on its own) PIL after taking into consideration news published about increase in number of farmers committing suicide.

The court suggested that if corporates and financial institutions are roped in and they are asked to spend from the CSR fund than it could help prevent farmer suicides. The bench observed that these business houses would readily come forward to help farmers under the corporate social responsibility.

The judges said that business houses should be urged either to adopt villages or provide equipment, including tractors to the farmers for free.

The collectors of Akola and Usmanabad and other government officials from a few districts were present in the court and explained what steps had been taken to tackle farmer suicides; however the court was also informed that despite these steps there seems to be increase in number of farmer suicides and that too owing to debts.

The court also suggested that the government may promote collective farming as a solution. It would especially help the farmers with small land-holding who are unable to recover the cost of cultivation, said the bench.