8,467 farmers ended lives in last three years

Mumbai: Facing the demand of loan waiver for farmers, the state government’s relief and rehabilitation department in a written reply in the ongoing Assembly session last week revealed that 8,467 farmers have committed suicide between January 2014 to January 2017.

Further, the reply revealed that around, “2,901 farmers family were not eligible to have compensation while in around 147 cases the investigations behind eligibility are underway.” The eligibility for compensation is decided after the investigations are completed to find out the reason behind the suicide.

Chandrakant Patil, who heads the relief and rehabilitation department, in the reply, added, “In January 2017, 186 farmers committed suicide of which 28 are eligible for compensation, and 11 are not eligible. While for the remaining 147 suicides the investigations are still underway.”

Mr Patil, in the reply, also stated, “To stop farmers suicide the state government has taken up various measures and has also organised various programmes in several districts of Marathwada and Vidarbha with emphasis on Yavatmal and Osmanabad in order to educate the farmers on the positive approach towards life.”

Both the upper and lower houses, during the ongoing budget session, were disrupted for three consecutive days last week, with the Opposition demanding complete loan waiver for the farmers in the state. The Opposition has also said that it will continue to disrupt the house if the demand is not met.

While the state government had contended that loan waiver was not the mere solution to stop farmer suicides and it is working towards increasing the income of the farmers. It also said that the loan waiver would be announced at an appropriate time.

According to the estimates, the state cooperative department that handles disbursement of loan to farmers has said that the loan waiver would cost the state government around Rs 22,000 crore.