News Analysis India

Tag: Farmer suicide

  • ‘One lakh farmers are contemplating suicide in Maharashtra’, reveals ex-state official’s report

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: A confidential report submitted by a former Maharashtra government official has revealed that as many as one lakh farmers in the state’s Marathwada region were contemplating suicide. As per the report, the wretched decision is influenced by factors such as rising debt, infertile land, drought, lack of funds for kin’s weddings, lack of remunerative prices for agricultural produce, and rising poverty.

    According to the report, the Maharashtra government had carried out a survey featuring 10 lakh farmers in the Marathwada region and asked them 104 questions. The report revealed that a total of 2.98 lakh farmers had been mentally disturbed and were in distress of which 1.05 lakh farmers were contemplating suicide due to their financial situation.

    The survey had been aimed at preventing farmer suicides by understanding their psychology and launching various welfare schemes to support them.

    Former Aurangabad divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrakar, before taking voluntary retirement, had carried out the survey of ten lakh farmers in the Marathawada region and submitted a 25-page report to the state government. Kendrekar was scheduled to retire on May 31, 2024, but instead chose to quit the service after the Maharashtra government had accepted his VRS request last month.

    According to the report, Kendrekar has suggested abolishing all current state and centre government welfare schemes such as crop insurance and the Namo Sanman scheme in which the state provides an aid of Rs 6,000 along with the Centre’s aid of Rs 6,000. Kendrakar in his report stated that such schemes helped the farmers “very little” and “did not bring any positive change.”

    Kendrakar had also suggested terminating all staff and officers who are working in the agriculture and cooperation department because the salaries of these employees added a burden of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 to the state, rather than bringing any solution to the farmers. “Therefore, the agriculture department should seriously stop wasting money on these staffers’ salaries,” the report had stated.

    Instead, Kendrakar opined that every farmer should be given Rs 20,000 per acre of agricultural land as financial aid during the rabi and kharif seasons.

    “Each farmer should be given a total of Rs 20,000 as ex-gratia for per acre of agricultural land during both rabi and kharif seasons. If the farmer is owning ten acres of land, then he or she should be given Rs 2 lakh per year as financial aid rather than doling out various schemes and welfare programs that do not reach the farmers,” reads the report.

    The report stated that a total of Rs 50,000 crore must be raised annually to execute this mega overhaul of providing Rs 20,000 per farmer. The report also provided suggestions on how this Rs 50,000 crore sum can be raised.

    As per the report, a sum of Rs 30,000 crores can be saved annually if the welfare and insurance schemes for farmers are stopped. A sum of up to Rs 10,000 crores can be raised by terminating the jobs of agricultural and cooperative department staffers and officials. The remaining amount can be raised by increasing the stamp duty and registration charges from the current Rs 60,000 per acre to Rs 1 lakh. “Once these suggestions are implemented, farmers will surely get Rs 20,000 per acre for their land in Maharashtra. This will not only end their financial issues but also help them lead a comfortable life,” the report stated.

    NCP leader and MLC Eknath Khadse said that this is a very serious matter and urged the state government to think it over and bring solutions. He said every farmer’s life is important highlighting the report’s revelations.

    Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde said that he will check whether the former IAS officer had submitted a report stating that one lakh farmers in the Marathwada region were contemplating suicide. “Kendrakar was the divisional commissioner of Aurangabad so he must have submitted the report to the revenue department. I will check if the report has reached the government. I will read it and speak in detail later,” Munde added.

    Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 (available 24×7)

    MUMBAI: A confidential report submitted by a former Maharashtra government official has revealed that as many as one lakh farmers in the state’s Marathwada region were contemplating suicide. As per the report, the wretched decision is influenced by factors such as rising debt, infertile land, drought, lack of funds for kin’s weddings, lack of remunerative prices for agricultural produce, and rising poverty.

    According to the report, the Maharashtra government had carried out a survey featuring 10 lakh farmers in the Marathwada region and asked them 104 questions. The report revealed that a total of 2.98 lakh farmers had been mentally disturbed and were in distress of which 1.05 lakh farmers were contemplating suicide due to their financial situation.

    The survey had been aimed at preventing farmer suicides by understanding their psychology and launching various welfare schemes to support them.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    Former Aurangabad divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrakar, before taking voluntary retirement, had carried out the survey of ten lakh farmers in the Marathawada region and submitted a 25-page report to the state government. Kendrekar was scheduled to retire on May 31, 2024, but instead chose to quit the service after the Maharashtra government had accepted his VRS request last month.

    According to the report, Kendrekar has suggested abolishing all current state and centre government welfare schemes such as crop insurance and the Namo Sanman scheme in which the state provides an aid of Rs 6,000 along with the Centre’s aid of Rs 6,000. Kendrakar in his report stated that such schemes helped the farmers “very little” and “did not bring any positive change.”

    Kendrakar had also suggested terminating all staff and officers who are working in the agriculture and cooperation department because the salaries of these employees added a burden of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 to the state, rather than bringing any solution to the farmers. “Therefore, the agriculture department should seriously stop wasting money on these staffers’ salaries,” the report had stated.

    Instead, Kendrakar opined that every farmer should be given Rs 20,000 per acre of agricultural land as financial aid during the rabi and kharif seasons.

    “Each farmer should be given a total of Rs 20,000 as ex-gratia for per acre of agricultural land during both rabi and kharif seasons. If the farmer is owning ten acres of land, then he or she should be given Rs 2 lakh per year as financial aid rather than doling out various schemes and welfare programs that do not reach the farmers,” reads the report.

    The report stated that a total of Rs 50,000 crore must be raised annually to execute this mega overhaul of providing Rs 20,000 per farmer. The report also provided suggestions on how this Rs 50,000 crore sum can be raised.

    As per the report, a sum of Rs 30,000 crores can be saved annually if the welfare and insurance schemes for farmers are stopped. A sum of up to Rs 10,000 crores can be raised by terminating the jobs of agricultural and cooperative department staffers and officials. The remaining amount can be raised by increasing the stamp duty and registration charges from the current Rs 60,000 per acre to Rs 1 lakh. “Once these suggestions are implemented, farmers will surely get Rs 20,000 per acre for their land in Maharashtra. This will not only end their financial issues but also help them lead a comfortable life,” the report stated.

    NCP leader and MLC Eknath Khadse said that this is a very serious matter and urged the state government to think it over and bring solutions. He said every farmer’s life is important highlighting the report’s revelations.

    Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde said that he will check whether the former IAS officer had submitted a report stating that one lakh farmers in the Marathwada region were contemplating suicide. “Kendrakar was the divisional commissioner of Aurangabad so he must have submitted the report to the revenue department. I will check if the report has reached the government. I will read it and speak in detail later,” Munde added.

    Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 (available 24×7)

  • Maharashtra farming community in doldrums: Average of eight farmers end life every day

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: Death by suicide among Maharashtra’s farming community continues to be an area of concern with an average of eight farmers ending their lives every day due to several factors including economic distress and falling crop prices.

    According to the state government data, as many as 1,203 farmers have died by suicide in the last seven months under the Eknath Shinde administration’s rule, while 1,660 farmers died in the two-and-a-half-year period under the Uddhav Thackeray-lea MVA administration.

    As many as 5,061 farmers died by suicide during the Devendra Fadvais-led BJP administration between 2014 and 2019, as per the data.

    Citing the data, senior NCP leader and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said that farmer suicides had increased under the Shinde-Fadnavis administration and accused the ruling government of being insensitive to farmers’ problems.

    “We do not want to blame any individual or any particular chief minister, but it is the harsh reality that the farmers are ending their lives in the Shinde government in large numbers. Financial distress among farmers is one of the major reasons behind farmer suicide. The cotton, onion, and Soyabean growing farmers did not get fair prices for their crops this year. We have seen how onion farmers are throwing the products on the road while some of them are burning them on farms. The farmers are unable to recover their input cost and expenses as well,” Pawar said.

    “In the Marathwada region, 62 farmers committed suicide in the last two months, while a total of 22 farmers ended their lives in the Beed district,” he added.

    The criticism comes amid Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ slew of farmer welfare schemes as part of the state budget for 2023-24 including an additional financial assistance of Rs 6000 annually, along with the Rs 6000 per year provided by the Union government.

    Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil said that farmers were being discriminated on the basis of their caste under the ruling government. Patil was referring to an incident in the Sangli district where farmers were allegedly being asked about their caste before buying chemical fertilizers.

    “Now while buying the fertilizers on a government site, the farmer’s caste has been asked. It is bizarre how they can humiliate the farmers by asking about their caste. A Farmer is a farmer, please do not divide them on the basis of caste and religion,” he said 

    Criticising the caste discrimination incident, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said, “It is wrong to ask the farmers’ caste. Such a thing has never happened before in the history of this country or in the state. If farmers are being asked about caste, what is the reason for this? This should come up.”

    The NCP chief also targeted the state and central government for failing to help or provide subsidies to onion farmers. “The Govt should either buy the farmers’ onions or give them adequate compensation. Other neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are helping the farmers but our state is only making empty promises, nothing has been done on the ground that will arrest the anger of the farmers and pull them from the distress,” Pawar said.

    Farmer deaths by suicide in Maharashtra

    A total of 7,444 deaths in the last eight years
    5,061 deaths between 2014-19 under the BJP administration
    1,660 deaths between 2019-21 under the MVA administration
    1,023 deaths between July 2022 – Jan 2023 under the Shinde administration

    MUMBAI: Death by suicide among Maharashtra’s farming community continues to be an area of concern with an average of eight farmers ending their lives every day due to several factors including economic distress and falling crop prices.

    According to the state government data, as many as 1,203 farmers have died by suicide in the last seven months under the Eknath Shinde administration’s rule, while 1,660 farmers died in the two-and-a-half-year period under the Uddhav Thackeray-lea MVA administration.

    As many as 5,061 farmers died by suicide during the Devendra Fadvais-led BJP administration between 2014 and 2019, as per the data.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    Citing the data, senior NCP leader and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said that farmer suicides had increased under the Shinde-Fadnavis administration and accused the ruling government of being insensitive to farmers’ problems.

    “We do not want to blame any individual or any particular chief minister, but it is the harsh reality that the farmers are ending their lives in the Shinde government in large numbers. Financial distress among farmers is one of the major reasons behind farmer suicide. The cotton, onion, and Soyabean growing farmers did not get fair prices for their crops this year. We have seen how onion farmers are throwing the products on the road while some of them are burning them on farms. The farmers are unable to recover their input cost and expenses as well,” Pawar said.

    “In the Marathwada region, 62 farmers committed suicide in the last two months, while a total of 22 farmers ended their lives in the Beed district,” he added.

    The criticism comes amid Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ slew of farmer welfare schemes as part of the state budget for 2023-24 including an additional financial assistance of Rs 6000 annually, along with the Rs 6000 per year provided by the Union government.

    Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil said that farmers were being discriminated on the basis of their caste under the ruling government. Patil was referring to an incident in the Sangli district where farmers were allegedly being asked about their caste before buying chemical fertilizers.

    “Now while buying the fertilizers on a government site, the farmer’s caste has been asked. It is bizarre how they can humiliate the farmers by asking about their caste. A Farmer is a farmer, please do not divide them on the basis of caste and religion,” he said 

    Criticising the caste discrimination incident, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said, “It is wrong to ask the farmers’ caste. Such a thing has never happened before in the history of this country or in the state. If farmers are being asked about caste, what is the reason for this? This should come up.”

    The NCP chief also targeted the state and central government for failing to help or provide subsidies to onion farmers. “The Govt should either buy the farmers’ onions or give them adequate compensation. Other neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are helping the farmers but our state is only making empty promises, nothing has been done on the ground that will arrest the anger of the farmers and pull them from the distress,” Pawar said.

    Farmer deaths by suicide in Maharashtra

    A total of 7,444 deaths in the last eight years
    5,061 deaths between 2014-19 under the BJP administration
    1,660 deaths between 2019-21 under the MVA administration
    1,023 deaths between July 2022 – Jan 2023 under the Shinde administration

  • Shortage of fertilizers drive a middle-aged farmer to die by suicide in MP’s Ashok Nagar district

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Deepening shortage of fertilizers allegedly drove a middle-aged farmer to die by suicide in Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh.

    The 44-year-old farmer identified as Dhanpal Yadav, owned 12 bighas land in Piprol village in Gwalior-Chambal region’s Ashok Nagar district.

    His younger brother Vivek Yadav and nephew Vijaypal Yadav alleged that Dhanpal was worried owing to the low agricultural yield last season. His woes were compounded lately by the non-availability of fertilizer. 

    “He was visiting fertilizer distribution societies for 10-15 days. However, Dhanpal was unable to get fertilizers. So he consumed poison on Thursday evening,” the duo alleged.

    He was first rushed by kin to a hospital in Ishagarh town, from where doctors referred him to Ashok Nagar district hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

    The on-duty doctor at Ashok Nagar district hospital, Dr Gaurav Bansal said Yadav was brought dead to the hospital. 

    “It appears to be a case of poisoning, his kin also allege that Dhanpal consumed poison. But the actual cause of death will be established by the autopsy findings only,” Dr Bansal said.

    Fertilizer crisis, particularly DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate) fertilizer shortage is being reported from various districts of MP’s Gwalior-Chambal and Bundelkhand regions, amid assurances of situation normalizing soon, by union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Jyotiraditya Scindia (both hailing from Gwalior-Chambal region) and the MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

    Earlier in the day, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that the availability of DAP, Urea, NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) will be ensured as per the requirement of the state, farmers should not worry. He told farmers to shed the mindset of manure shortage and not to worry, required quantities of manure will be provided from time to time. 32 additional rakes will reach various places in the state by October 31. This urea will be made available to the farmers. Discussion has been held with the central government for the supply of fertilizers in November.

    “We will definitely get manure as per the requirement of the state,” CM said while reviewing the status of fertilizer availability and supply of fertilizers in the state.

    Chouhan said that by the end of October last year, 3.48 lakh metric tonnes urea had been lifted by the farmers. This year 3.18 lakh metric tonnes have been lifted. The remaining quantity will also be made available by month-end. Last year, till the end of October, 2.78 lakh metric tonnes DAP was purchased by farmers. This year, 2.31 lakh metric tonnes DAP has been purchased by farmers, and the remaining quantity is also being made available.

    He added that NPK is also available in adequate quantities and appealed to the farmers to use NPK and super phosphate also if the need arises.

    Importantly, the shortage of fertilizers has been reported from Bundelkhand region of adjoining MP too. Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is in UP’s Lalitpur district on Friday, to meet families of two farmers, who have reportedly died following shortage of fertilizers recently.

    (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).

  • 64-year-old farmer kills self in Chhattisgarh; police proble land encroachment, loan angles

    By PTI
    RAIPUR: A 64-year-old farmer allegedly died by suicide in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district, police said on Monday.

    A suicide note found from the spot accuses three people and the contents and its authenticity were being verified, an official said.

    “Sarju Ram Yadav consumed poison in his home in Morena village on June 12. A handwritten note found from the spot claimed his land was being encroached upon and three people, including a revenue department staffer, were harassing him.

    “A probe has also found he had taken a loan from a moneylender and he was being pressured over repayment,” a Kharora police station official said.

    Additional Superintendent of Police (Raipur Rural) Tarkeshwar Patel said the contents of the purported suicide note and the role of the people mentioned in it were being verified.

    (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA’s 24×7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)

  • Debt-ridden farmer ends life in Nagpur district

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: A debt-ridden farmer committed suicide by hanging himself at Mahadula in Nagpur district, police said on Wednesday.

    The deceased was identified as Rameshwar Shivcharan Kelekar (30).

    As per his family, Kelekar had taken loans of over Rs 2 lakh from a nationalized bank and also by mortgaging jewelery but suffered losses as his cotton crop was damaged by unseasonal rains.

    He had sold his paddy crop to the Maharashtra State Co-op Tribal Development Corporation but was yet to receive Rs 50,000 from it.

    The family had arranged his marriage but he was distressed due to the financial woes, police said.

    On Tuesday evening he went to his farm and hanged himself from a tree, police said, adding that further probe was on.

    (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA’s 24×7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)

  • Agri laws: Another farmer from Haryana commits suicide near Tikri border

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: A 49-year-old farmer from Haryana’s Hisar district on Sunday allegedly hanged himself from a tree, about seven kilometers from the Tikri border protest site, police said.

    The farmer, who supported the agitation against Centre’s new farm laws, has purportedly left a suicide note, they said.

    “The victim, Rajbir, hailed from a village in Hisar district. He was found hanging from a tree,” Bahadurgarh City police station SHO, Vijay Kumar said over phone.

    His body was found hanging by some farmers who informed the police.

    In the suicide note purportedly left behind by Rajbir, it is mentioned that the three farm laws were responsible for him to take the extreme step.

    He also said that the Centre should fulfil his last wish by repealing the legislations, police said.

    Last month, a farmer from Jind in Haryana who was also supporting the agitation against the Centre’s farm laws had allegedly hanged himself from a tree, merely two kilometres from the Tikri border protest site.

    Earlier, another farmer from Haryana had allegedly consumed a poisonous substance at the Tikri border.

    He had died during treatment at a Delhi hospital later.

    In December last, a lawyer from Punjab had allegedly killed himself by consuming poison a few kilometres away from the protest site at the Tikri border.

    Earlier, Sikh preacher Sant Ram Singh had also allegedly ended his life near the Singhu border protest site, claiming that he was “unable to bear the pain of the farmers”.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting since November last year at Delhi borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

    The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the Centre has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

    If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA’s 24×7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.

  • Farmer dies by suicide in Gujarat over delay in housing aid

    By PTI
    MAHISAGAR: A 70-year-old farmer has allegedly committed suicide in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district, apparently over delay in release of funds to construct a house sanctioned to him under a government scheme, police said on Monday.

    Balwantsinh Charan, hailing from Vandarved village in Mahisagar, hanged himself from the ceiling near a staircase on the second floor of Bakor taluka panchayat’s office during working hours on Saturday afternoon, they said.

    “There were three-four employees in the office, but nobody was present in the staircase room when he hanged himself,” Bakor taluka police station’s sub-inspector M B Vachhani said.

    Before taking the extreme step, the farmer called an emergency helpline number, where he said he was present at the taluka panchayat office and was going to end his life as his work was not getting done, the official said, adding that the victim did not specify the work during the phone call.

    “We are conducting an investigation to find out the exact reason behind the suicide,” he said.

    “As per primary investigation, it appears the farmer was fed up as he was not getting the fund released under a government housing scheme for which his application was approved.

    We will check the records for further details,” the official said.

    The body was sent to a government hospital for postmortem and a case of accidental death was registered at Bakor taluka police station, he said.

    (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)