What steps were taken to tackle farmer suicides: Bombay High Court to state

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday informed the Bombay high court that 124 farmers have committed suicide across Maharashtra since January this year. The court noted that the figure of farmer suicides is alarming and sought to know the steps taken by the government to stop them.

Taking note of media reports of large number of farmers committing suicide in Maharashtra over past many years, the HC has suo moto taken up the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the issue for hearing. Appearing before the division bench headed by Justice Naresh Patil, the government pleader informed the court that 124 farmers have committed suicide in the past 45 days, out of which 20 cases were reported in Osmanabad district alone. Evidently, the official figure of farmers suicide has increased by 64 within a week as only a week ago the government had told the HC that 80 farmers had committed suicide in January 2016.

“The figure is very alarming... in the last one-and-half months, 124 farmers have killed themselves. We would like to know from the government what steps are being taken to stop this,” said Justice Naresh Patil.

On January 21, 2016, the state government had told the high court that 1,000 farmers had committed suicide in Maharashtra in 2015. Hearing this, the high court suggested the government to rope-in corporates to deal with the crisis. The court had earlier suggested that big business houses should be urged either to adopt villages or provide equipment, including tractors, to the farmers for free. The court had also suggested that the government 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, it said and asked the state to come out with welfare schemes for farmers.

The government has also informed the court that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 3,500 crore for helping the distressed farmers in Maharashtra, while the state allocated Rs 2,500 crore. Of this, Rs 14.34 crore has been disbursed so far. Ashutosh Kumbhkoni, appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court, had earlier said that according to the National Bureau of Crime Records, 15,978 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra in the last five years.

The HC has also taken note of the media reports about closure of fodder depots, which were started as one of the measures to help distressed farmers. The HC asked the government whether it had decided to close down fodder depots in the state. To this, the government pleader said he would have to seek instructions from the state.