AGRICULTURE: FARMERS’ SUICIDE - 2015
January to December - 2015
Compiled By
Fr. Paul G Documentation Centre∗
Take steps to stop suicides of farmers: TRRS (20)
SANGAREDDY: Telangana Rytu Rakshana Samithi (TRRS) has urged the policy makers to take
steps to stop suicides of farmers. In a release here on Thursday, TRRS founder president Pakala
Srihari Rao has alleged that casual handling of national agriculture policy has resulted in destroying
economy of lakhs of farmers across the country apart from destroying gross domestic product (GDP).
“The production cost of per acre has increased considerably while yield per acre has reduced
drastically because of indifferent attitude by the rulers all these years,” he said. Profitable price to
agriculture produce, linking of MNREGS to all agriculture operations, wavier of all private and crop
loans of farmers, sanctioning of Rs. 1 lakh loan for each functioning bore well and implementing crop
insurance in farmer friendly manner are some of the suggestions made by him. (The Hindu 2/1/15)
'Farmers suicide on rise since BJP came to power' (20)
Hassan: Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda alleged, the number of farmers suicide has
increased in the country after BJP came to power at the Centre. About 105 farmers suicide cases
have been reported from Gujarat alone.An affidavit has been submitted to the Supreme Court in this
regard, he said. Addressing a press meet, after attending a private programme here, on Sunday,
Gowda said, his efforts to explain the status of the farmers of the State during the Winter Session of
the Parliament turned futile. Though he had sought permission from the Speaker to speak about the
plight of farmers in the Session, it was not considered. After a few days, he again sought permission
under Act 193 as he was a former prime minister, it was also not considered. Though he has been
seated in the first row, as he was a former prime minister, he was not given an opportunity to speak.
“Should I attend the Parliament session just for Rs 2,000 allowance?” he questioned. Pointing out the
rumours that his Hassan stay has come to an end in a month, Gowda said, he was in Delhi attending
the Winter Session. Later, he was involved in sorting out party issues and strengthening the party. He
will visit Hassan on January 7 and 9, Gowda said. (Deccan Herald 5/1/15)
Cultivator reaps big with organic farming (20)
MADURAI: Unlike the usual trend of depending on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, an enterprising
farmer here has adapted to organic farming and reaped a handsome harvest this year. A N M
Tiruppathi from Kulamangalam village has revived the agricultural methods of his ancestors using
cow and sheep dung and compost to enrich the soil, and adopted organic pesticides on his 15 acres
of paddy cultivation. On Monday, Tiruppathi commenced the harvest of his land in the presence of
officials from the agriculture department. The sample harvesting carried out on 20 cents of land in the
presence of officials yielded 12 bags, with each weighing 66 kg. It is estimated that the harvest in one
acre of land will touch the 60 bag-mark which, according to the agriculture department officials, is a
good harvest. "He has been trying to convert his cultivation into the organic mode for many years and
regularly sought information and ideas from us. He is an innovative farmer. The sample harvesting
was quite promising," said R Selvan, assistant director of agriculture. "When I was growing up, I saw
my parents carrying out organic farming and switching to chemical inputs later. I have also observed
how the quality of food grains deteriorated due to chemicals. Hence, I am reviving the organic
agricultural practices and adapting them to the current trends. This way, I can harvest good crops
which are eco-friendly and good for the health," Tiruppathi said. To get the results, he has been
∗
This is a collection of previously published news and views from the print as well as the electronic media, whose
reference marked at the end of each news items. Department of Documentation and Library (DDL) of the Indian Social
Institute, New Delhi neither claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views expressed.
regularly using green manure and cow dung on the soil and ploughing once every 15 days ahead of
cultivation. To get quality seedlings, the nursery area was enriched with sea weeds, groundnut oil
cake and pseudomonas, an organic insecticide that is used to control pest. "Wild paddy varieties are
ideal for organic farming because they are resilient and require less agricultural inputs. Thus great
expenditure is cut down on inputs, improving our profits," Tiruppathi said. "It is a positive trend among
the farmers in our district at present, since many are turning towards organic farming for good. There
are innovative farmers who did not hesitate to combine modern technology and traditional
knowledge," said Jayasingh Gnanadurai, joint director of agriculture. (Times of India 5/1/15)
GM crops a solution to growing farmer suicide? (20)
Mumbai: Speakers said that there were some misunderstandings among the people regarding GM
crops which needed to be addressed on a priority basis. Genetically modified crops can be a solution
for the growing farmer suicide in the country. Speakers at the 102 nd Indian Science Congress while
discussing in the symposium on “GM crops: the use of Modern Biotechnology in Agriculture” said that
GM crops would be the long-term solution for the country. However, they added that there were some
misunderstandings among the people regarding such crops which needed to be addressed on a
priority basis. While highlighting the misunderstandings of the people regarding GM crops Dr Anupan
Varma, senior scientist of the Indian national Science Academy said that people regarded genetically
engineered crops to be against nature and harmful for consumption. Citing many examples of GM
crops Dr Varma explained the need for resorting to modern technology and stressed on the need to
give serious thought on the same. “Today India is doing well in the field of agriculture and is
considered one of the foremost in cotton production due to the modern means of production adopted
by the policy makers. However, the issue facing us is of bio-safety and a solution needs to be found
by doing extensive research on different methods that can be adopted to avert the dangers of biodegradation,” said another speaker. (Asian Age 6/1/15)
Agriculture extension service strengthened (20)
Coimbatore: The extension service in the agriculture sector in India has been strengthened and the
ministry was paying special attention to technology transfer to farmers, a top official said here on
Tuesday. Technologies are reaching farmers through various means, including training, regional
melas, publications, exhibitions and production of video films, O P Dhahiya, Director, Farm
Information, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, said. In his address to the Southern
Regional Agricultural Fair and state-level farmers' Day at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he said
the service in cooperation with the State extension wing has brought in phenomenal improvement in
agricultural development and increased farmers' income. Inaugurating the Fair, C Rajendran, Joint
Secretary, Deparment of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu,said doubling productivity and tripling farmers'
income was their motto. Since most farmers involved in food production are poor, the government
was aiming at promoting welfare schemes for them, he said, adding value addition and storage
facilities would be given more importance in years to come. K Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU
said regional fairs were organised with the objective of allowing farmers know the technologies and
scientists and extension workers to know what was to be done in future. Despite 11 districts in last
year and 31 districts in penultimate year were declared as drought hit, Tamil Nadu produced 11.3
million tonnes of foodgrains, he said. He asked farmers to regularly visit the fields and properly utilise
technologies in an era of changing food habits and climate. With the theme 'Profitable and
Sustainable agriculture,' hundreds of farmers from Southern States - Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Telengana, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry are participating in the four day fair. (Business
Standard 7/1/15)
Slowdown in China, cotton glut may deal Indian farmers a hard knock (20)
New Delhi: India is likely to face a cotton glut this year. The surplus, however, will be of little comfort
to suicide-prone and highly indebted farmers, who stare at a sharp drop in earnings - prices are
already down 14% compared with last year. The crisis has to do with a slowdown in China, which is
forecast to slash by half the amount of cotton it will import this year, most of it from India. “Exports
could see a remarkable fall. Although prices currently show some improvement on a month-on-month
basis, average prices of cotton are already about 14% lower than a year ago,” said VN Saroja, CEO
of Agriwatch, a commodities firm. The United States department of agriculture (USDA), in a global
report, said it expected up to 47% fall in Indian cotton exports. The glut is expected despite a
projected drop in India’s output due to a bad monsoon. A partial drought could result in a crop of
about 40.2 million bales (of 170 kg each) in 2014-15, lower than the previous year’s 40.7 million
bales, according to the Cotton Association of India. Even Gujarat, a major producer with better
irrigation facilities, could see a dip in output. Without sufficient exports, a domestic market with too
much supply could push prices below profitable levels. Since cotton farmers mostly depend on loans
to meet costs, lower profits could aggravate the crisis in suicide-prone cotton belts such as
Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. Moreover, this year’s minimum support price is unlikely to cover
export costs. So traders will look to offset it by paying farmers less. Battling a slowdown in its textile
sector, China is likely to slash imports by half this year, scaring major producers such as the US,
Brazil and Uzbekistan. But these countries are less dependent on China than India, which exports
heavily to the Communist neighbour since it started a programme to build a national cotton reserve.
To make it easier for traders to tap alternative markets, the government has relaxed rules by
temporarily doing away with the need for exporters to register with the Directorate General of Foreign
Trade. A newer problem could be looming for growers. Indian lint - considered to be of high quality - is
mostly handpicked. But, importers now prefer machine-harvested fibre due to changing standards.
“As a result, India will struggle to maintain its share in shrinking Chinese imports,” the USDA said.
Though genetically modified BT cotton has helped India become the world’s second biggest cotton
producer, suicide among debt-ridden cotton farmers is often seen as a hidden “agrarian crisis”. The
government could come under pressure if the situation worsens in the vulnerable cotton-growing
areas. The agriculture ministry last month sent a team to probe the farm crisis in Maharashtra, where
persistent dry conditions from this summer’s drought are said to have pushed up the number of
suicides. The western state recorded 204 farmer suicides in 2014, deaths that are directly attributable
to “agrarian causes”, such as financial losses from farming or crop failures. (Hindustan Times 12/1/15)
50% of farmers indebted: Modi needs to shift attention to distress in farm economy (20)
The new year has brought bad tidings for India's farming community. Twelve farmers committed
suicide due to crop failure in the Vidharba region of Maharashtra in just one week after 22 December.
This spate of suicide by farmers provoked a frustrated BJP Lok Sabha MP from the Vidharba region
to say, "Let the farmers die. If they can't survive in farming, let them die".This rather insensitive
remark by Member of Parliament, Sanjay Dhotre, was played on some national TV channels
repeatedly. Dhotre later said he was merely expressing a sense of helplessness while making those
remarks. Well, helplessness is likely to become a permanent state of mind among the farming
community as global agriculture commodity prices have fallen by upto 30% in the past few months
and local farmers are not likely to get higher prices for their domestic produce. The increase in
Minimum Support Price(MSP) for farmers under the Narendra Modi government has been much less
than what was given in the past many years. This is inspite of Modi's explicit promise to farmers
during his election campaign that they would get 50% profit margin over their cost of production. This
promise has remained unfulfilled so far. And all this is happening at a time when there is growing
distress among the farming community due to falling global agriculture prices.Last fortnight,
countrywide survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation(NSSO) revealed that
nearly 50% of India's 90 million farm households were indebted to either banks or money lenders.
Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of indebted farm households at 69 lakhs. Andhra Pradesh was
the second largest with 49 lakh familes in debt and Maharashtra had 36 lakh farm families which had
taken loans mostly for their farm business. Over 50% of the loans were meant for capital and other
expenditure on the farm. The NDA's first full budget will have to pay some serious attention to what is
happening in India's farm sector. Normally the budget exercise is dominated by the concerns of the
industrial sector which enjoys disproportionate clout and talk time with the government through high
profile industry associations. Anyone who follows the government's budget-related interactions with
the public knows that industry, particularly big businesses dominate the exercise. Agriculture gets
some time, but it is more routine in nature. This time agriculture needs to be taken more seriously as it
also drives rural demand for goods and services. Of course, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely has to look
at the problems confronting the overall economy, which are no less serious. The uptick in sentiment
and confidence that was reflected after the Modi government came to power seems to be waning as
some economic indicators clearly challenge the narrative of a quick recovery in the economy. The
virtual collapse of global oil prices is now causing fears of volatility in global finance capital movement
which will also affect India. Crude at $50 dollar a barrel is not good for the United States which is
staging an impressive economic recovery largely on the back of massive shale gas/oil production. So
India cannot be an island of growth in a world economy buffeted by volatility. For India, particularly
worrisome is the data showing virtually no pick up in industrial growth so far in 2014-15. Ongoing
investment projects totalling Rs.6.3 lakh crore are not moving forward for various reasons.
Infrastructure projects, particularly in the road sector, are not moving because private companies
building them are either strapped for cash or engaged in disputes relating to execution with the
government. The Chief Economic Advisor in finance ministry Arvind Subramanium has publicly
admitted that infrastructure companies are facing a huge debt problem in their balance sheets. Banks
are not giving them more money to implement projects. As a result the National Highway Authority of
India(NHAI) has decided that government will fund 70% of all new highway projects in the next two
years. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the increase in excise duties in recent weeks are aimed
at funding road projects. In non-infrastructure sectors we are faced with over capacity due to demand
contraction. Industry is currently running at 70 per cent of its existing production capacity. This means
new investments will not happen unless consumer demand picks up and fuller utlilization of capacity
happens. This could get difficult in the coming year because rural demand, which is critical, could
further contract as global food prices have dropped by 20 to 30 per cent. The farmers' income growth
may decelerate in 2015. Nominal rural wages grew handsomely by 17 to 19 percent for a few years
until 2012 end. But now rural wage growth is negative after adjusting for inflation. Experts also
anticipate output slow down in the agriculture sector which consistently recorded good growth in
recent years. Agriculture growth may slip badly 2015 going by current trend. Modi is particularly
vulnerable because he had made tall promises to the farmers during his election campaign. He will
soon be tested against his big commitments made to farmers. In short, many political economy
challenges lie ahead for Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley. (Firstpost 12/1/15)
Moneylenders don’t want government to waive farm loans (20)
NAGPUR: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced in the winter session that loans taken by
farmers from registered private money lenders would be waived off. However, the moneylenders are
shying away from sharing data on loans specifically granted to farmers. The announcement was part
of the Rs 7,000 crore package for farmers hit by drought and other natural calamities. It covered
moneylenders' loans worth Rs 373 crore in all. Moneylenders are registered with the state's
department of cooperatives, which is facing practical difficulties in compiling figures on the farmers'
dues. The exercise by the department has revealed that moneylenders across the region do not keep
account of loans given on the basis of the end use. Farmers make up a major part of clientele for
private lenders. However, their books of accounts do not specially classify advances as farm loans or
other type. In the absence of bank credit, farmers resort to private lenders to avail finance for meeting
sowing expenses. But the lenders have only maintained a general account, with all loan types
classified as one. Sources in the department say moneylenders have expressed inability to provide
segregated data to the government. However, sources say moneylenders are preferring not to
disclose farm loans separately for two reasons. The official rate for loans doled out for sowing or other
farm activities is capped at 9%, while other loans can be granted at 12% to 15%. It is believed that
generally lenders charge more than 9% for all loans, so they want to keep the type of loans
camouflaged. The complications related to farm suicides is also a reason. If the borrower commits
suicide, the moneylender has to face the heat. Cooperative department officials say if all the loans
doled by private moneylenders are taken into account, the amount to be waived may go much beyond
Rs 373 crore, which was stipulated by the government. Even as moneylenders provide loans to
farmers for meeting their sowing expenses at the start of the season, their borrowers include artisans
and other businessmen too. Apart from farming, loans are provided for personal expenses too.
Moneylenders offer loans purely against gold, with no land documents being accepted from borrowers
that would allow segregation of farm loans. A government resolution (GR) in this matter can help in
clearing the confusion. The eligibility for the loan waiver should come with certain riders, such as
production of land documents. In the absence of any other mechanism, land documents are the only
proof that the loans were granted to a farmer, said an official. (Times of India 13/1/15)
Farmers seek separate budget for agriculture (20)
KALPETTA: The second edition of the National Agri-Fete that concluded at Mananthavady on
Saturday urged the government to introduce a special budget, similar to the Railway budget,
exclusively for the agriculture sector in the State. In a proposal passed by the farmers at ‘Mikavu,’ an
interactive session of farmers from the district held in connection with the eight-day fete, said that
farmers faced many problems and all of them could not be addressed in the State budget. Hence, the
Agriculture Minister should present a budget exclusively for the agriculture sector. The session
demanded complete mechanisation in agriculture and allied sectors, and rejuvenation of the sector to
attract more youths to it. An agrarian district like Wayanad was facing challenges such as dearth of
skilled labour, especially during harvesting season. A full-fledged training centre was sought in
agriculture and dairy sectors in the district to impart modern skills to farmers in value addition,
branding, packing and exporting of agriculture and dairy products. A special package to promote
organic cultivation and irrigation projects to utilise water in the Kabani river were among the demands.
projects meant for the headquarters of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
(KVASU) at Pookode to other campuses of the university. They demanded intervention by the
government to stop the move. Youth Affairs Minister P.K. Jayalakshmi inaugurated the session and
the Minister honoured 350 selected farmers in the district on that occasion. The organisers said that
close to 1.5 lakh people visited the festival organised by the Agriculture Department. (The Hindu
18/1/15)
Farmers to hold mass rally in Delhi against land ordinance (20)
NEW DELHI: Dissatisfied with the government's recent land acquisition ordinance, around 12 farmer
unions have decided to hold a mass rally and demonstration on March 18 in the capital. The
coalition—All India Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement (AICCFM) which includes the
Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) after a two-day meeting at the Punjab Bhavan in Delhi announced to
mobilize one lakh farmers from different parts of the country to come to Delhi and join the protest. "All
the achievements made in last several decades in the interest of the Indian farmers have been
undone in last 240 days of NDA government. Therefore we decided to organize this rally," their
statement issued on Saturday said. "Farmer suicides in India are continuing despite many promises
by the PM before the election that he would work for the Indian farmers. During NDA government
since May 2014, more than 7000 farmers have committed suicide," it added. Withdrawing the
ordinance to amend the right to fair compensation and transparency in land acquisition, rehabilitation
and resettlement Act 2013 Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in its manifesto had announced remunerative
price for farmers produce which has not been implemented. Farmers reject Shanta Kumar high level
committee report and recommendation on restructuring FCI. Especially the proposal to reduce its
coverage of National Food Security Act (NFSA) from present 67% to 40% Institute government policy
to compensate loss due to natural calamity Fulfill the promise in manifesto about not allowing field
trials, commercialization or import of any genetically engineered seeds or crops Pay arrears to
sugarcane farmers that sugar industries haven't paid (Times of India 24/1/15)
Eight Vidarbha farmers have committed suicide: Activist (20)
Nagpur: At least eight debt-ridden farmers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region ended their lives in the
past four days, including four who committed suicide Wednesday, an activist said. "The bodies of two
farmers were brought early today (Wednesday) from Bodadi and Sonegaon villages of Yavatmal
district. As the autopsy was being carried out, two more bodies were received at the V.N. Government
Medical College -- all within a couple of hours," Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) president
Kishore Tiwari told IANS. The farmers who died Wednesday were identified as Bansi Rathode of
Bodadi, Devrao Bhagwat of Sonegaon, Prakash Kutarmare of Mohada and Tulsiram Rathode of
Devnala, according to VJAS secretary Mohan Jadhav. Tiwari said four farmers committed suicide
earlier this week -- two each Jan 25 and Jan 27 -- in different parts of Vidarbha. "We have no
information if anyone committed suicide on Republic Day (Jan 26) as it was a public holiday, and the
government was busy with celebrations," Tiwari said. He attributed the spate of suicides in Vidarbha
and other farmlands of Maharashtra to the sudden fall in prices of cotton and pulses. Claiming that 62
farmers have ended their lives since Jan 1, Tiwari said 2015 could create a new record after 2013
when Maharashtra topped the National Crime Records Bureau figure for maximum farmland suicides
at 3,146. Jadhav said he was informed by the relatives of the farmers that they committed suicide
"due to immense distress and despair" among their debt-hit families .The VJAS leaders said they
apprehend the worst with the oncoming summer season when the farming community has to grapple
with scorching heat coupled with acute shortage of water. (New Kerala 28/1/15)
Sikh farmers from Kutch approach NCM following attack (20)
CHANDIGARH: Punjabi families settled in the Kutch region of Gujarat approached the National
Commission for Minorities on Tuesday seeking protection after an alleged attack on a farmer at Loria
village, 15km from Bhuj. A team from the commission is likely to meet them on February 1. Surinder
Singh Bhullar, a farmer settled near Bhuj, said that Sikh families have been living in fear after the
recent attack on one of the farmers with sharp-edged weapons during demarcation of land at Loria
village by a government agency. "The matter of land acquisition is pending before the apex court and
we are even unable to get farmer credit cards to take up farming. To add to it, there is threat to
security that is making the Punjabi community here feel vulnerable," he added. Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) leader Himmat Singh Shergill, who has been taking up the issue of these farmers, said the
incident follows a similar attack last year and apart from the indifference of the state government, land
mafia appears to be putting pressure on the farmers to give away their land without resistance. The
latest incident has invoked reactions from political parties in Punjab. Punjab Congress president
Partap Singh Bajwa said these farmers had been invited to settle there way back in 1965 and they
turned the barren lands into cultivable land through sheer hard labour. However, now for the past
several years, they were facing the threat of being uprooted under a law enacted by the Gujarat
government that purportedly bars non-Gujaratis from buying land in the state. Though, the farmers
won the case in the Gujarat high court, the Gujarat government challenged the HC orders in the SC.
Former Congress CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal alleged that Sikh farmers settled in Bhuj had been living
under constant fear from land mafia, which seems to have patronage of the ruling BJP in Gujarat.
"These farmers have made repeated requests to the state government and Modi government at the
Centre to ensure security for them, but it has fallen on deaf ears," she said. (Times of India 29/1/15)
Drought hits 90 lakhs farmers in Maharashtra (20
MUMBAI: Nearly 90 lakh farmers in Maharashtra have been impacted by the drought that has
devastated the kharif crop, official data shows. The figure is almost on a par with the population of
Sweden. Maharashtra is already known for its farm crisis and reports the highest number of farmer's
suicides in the country. The drought — brought on by a delayed and inadequate monsoon — is set to
deepen the distress for its cultivators. It comes close on the heels of the crop distress wreaked by the
hailstorms last year which hit cultivators hard. Data with the agriculture department show that twothirds of the state's 1.37crore farmers have been affected by the drought which has impacted mainly
the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. These areas have historically been the most deprived in the
state.Two weeks ago, the state government officially declared that 60% of its villages were facing a
"drought-like condition". This means that they reported a crop yield which was less than 50% of the
standard yield in the area. In absolute figures, 23,811 of the state's 39,453 villages come in this
category. This will result in a drastic fall in the state's agricultural output for the year, officials said. "It
is a very difficult situation. Farmers in the state are facing severe agrarian distress," said state relief
and rehabilitation secretary K H Govinda Raj. The state government has released relief worth Rs
2,000 crore so far, he added. The state had asked the Central government for aid worth Rs 4,800
crore but that's yet to come in. Vidarbha-based farmer activist Vijay Jawandia pointed out that this is
the fourth drought in the state since 2008. "The impact on farmers is only getting worse. Earlier
farmers used to suffer because of low yields but at least they got a decent price for their produce.
Now they have poor yield and very low prices for their crop," he said. In his estimation, the cotton and
soyabean crop in the state could see a dramatic drop in yield. "The total cotton production in
Maharashtra could drop by 1.5crore quintals this year. The soyabean yield was 4quintals per acre.
This year it could be just half of that," he said. Times of India 3/2/15)
Maharashtra farmer climbs on burning pyre, ends life (20)
Yavatmal (Maharashtra) A debt-ridden farmer from a village in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region climbed
on a lit pyre and committed suicide Wednesday, the second such incident since November last year,
an activist said here Thursday. Anandrao S. Pandagle, 45, a resident of Bhambh village, is survived
by his wife and three teenaged daughters, said Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti chief Kishore Tiwari.
Preliminary police investigations revealed he had farm debts of Rs.50,000 and was trying to collect
another Rs.12,000 for his eldest daughter's marriage. "He was alone at home, poured kerosene on
himself, prepared and lit his own funeral pyre before climbing on it... By the time locals rushed to help,
he was burnt to death," Tiwari told IANS. This is the second instance of its kind in the region. On Nov
28 last year, 75-year old farmer Kashiram B. Indare of Manarkhed village lit his own funeral pyre in a
field. Earlier presumed missing, his charred remains were discovered after a couple of days. Vidarbha
has been rocked by five more suicides since Wednesday, according to Tiwari, even as the desperate
farmers' patience was running out in the wake of official apathy to their plight. The victims are:
Ramkrishan Bhalavi of Talni village and Ambadas Wahile of Gunji village, both in Amravati district;
Sanju Gawande of Saikheda village in Washim district; Vijay Tadas of Ghorad village and Nanaji
Ingole of Kanheri village, both in Wardha district. In December, the Supreme Court issued a notice to
the state government on the issue of debt-ridden farmers' suicides in Maharashtra following a public
interest litigation filed by a lawyer R.U. Upadhyay. Similarly, the National Human Rights Commission
has also sent a notice to the state government seeking a report on the incident, even as the spate of
farmland suicides continues unabated in Maharashtra. Last week, the Shiv Sena strongly criticized it
ruling ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, for ignoring the plight of the farmers though Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis hails from the Vidarbha region. (Business Standard 5/2/15)
Haryana seeks 30 % hike in MSP of crops (20)
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has recommended to the Central Government a 30 per
cent increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops to make the agriculture sector profitable.
Agriculture Minister Om Parkash Dhankar, while speaking on the occasion of the Deenbandhu Sir
Chhotu Ram anniversary celebrations in Jind, said a number of initiatives are being taken by the State
Government to make the farmers prosperous. Mr Dhankar claimed that the government has
succeeded in delivering water right up to 90 per cent tail-ends and urged farmers to adopt Israel’s drip
irrigation technology to make maximum use of the water. (The Hindu 8/2/15)
Maharashtra farmer suicides: 50% of kin denied relief (20)
MUMBAI: Families of nearly half of the farmers in Maharashtra who have committed suicide over the
last four years are not eligible to get even the paltry Rs 1 lakh compensation thanks to government
rules. Maharashtra, along with Tamil Nadu, WB, AP, Chhattisgarh and MP, registers a high number of
farmer suicides. An RTI application by activist Jitendra Ghadge has revealed that of the total 5,698
suicides registered in rural Maharashtra since 2011, especially in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions,
spouses of 2,731 victims have been found ineligible to receive government aid—either because the
deceased did not have a bank loan against the cultivation planned in that season or did not own a
piece of land. Activists say there is an urgent need to review compensation systems and strengthen
the agrarian economy. Experts and activists relate this large number of 'ineligible' suicides not only
with acutely distressful agrarian issues but also to the extremes the urban and rural economies have
attained, forcing youth in rural areas to shun farming and migrate to urban set-ups. According to them,
district committees decide on the eligibility of compensation (Rs 30,000 cash and a cheque of Rs
70,000) based on bank and land records established by family members and the police in the inquest
panchanamas, which sometimes contain many loopholes. Kishor Tiwari, a farmers' activist from
Vidarbha, said there were serious issues with the existing methods in deciding criteria for
compensation. "Corruption and political interference are rampant apart from the lackadaisical
approach of senior police and revenue officials in those districts," he said. Journalist and researcher
of agrarian crises Jaideep Hardikar, who has authored a book based on the life of farmers and PAPs
(project-affected people), said farm labourers or marginal farmers having no direct access to banks
were getting no attention although they too shared the agony of a failed monsoon. "Though the
situations vary, the issues remain the same in their lives," he added. Hardikar said the case rejection
or ineligibility had gone up since 2008 and there was a need to tackle the issue more scientifically.
According to Tiwari, a survey of 17 lakh families by the government showed distress and frustration
due to economic, educational and medical reasons besides debts and damages to crops in natural
calamities as reasons for the suicides. "Expectations of the younger generation are increasing. When
a clerk or a peon in an urban area who relocates from rural areas is able to earn a decent sum, a
person working on a farm is unable to meet the expectations of family members. Distress and
frustration are acute due to ailments, education and agrarian uncertainties," he said. "This is the
failure of the government in offering better opportunities in rural areas. Why does a Rs one lakh loan
become a reason for suicide in rural areas?" asks Hardikar and answers it himself: "Because prices
and yields are volatile and returns or investments are not guaranteed." "Gender bias, lack of interest
among collectors and senior police officials in verifying the police and revenue reports, loopholes in
investigating reasons of suicide such as borrowing money from private money lenders, property
disputes, alleged consumption of liquor and alleged extramarital affairs are responsible for rising
number of ineligible cases," said other activists who did not want to be named. (Times of India 9/2/15)
Green pepper does a star turn for tribal farmers (20)
ANCHIYAL (IDUKKI DISTRICT): The tribal farmers of Vancvhivayal, a settlement inside the Periyar
Tiger Reserve (PTR), are a happy lot. For, they get the highest price for green pepper in the State as
the entire lot is exported to Germany. In this hill-locked fertile forestland, all farmers grow organic
pepper thanks to the effort of the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation. The 63 families at
Vancvhivayal are busy harvesting the crop and the yield is expected to be over 20 tonnes this year.
They get Rs.270 a kg this season for their produce, which Rs.110 more than the local market rate.
V.Radhakrishnan, secretary of the Eco-Development Committee (EDC), said the committee prompted
the farmers to take up green pepper cultivation. In 2005, 20,578 kg of organic pepper fetched
Rs.5,14,470 and last year, the farmers got Rs.52,63,940 selling 23,027 kg. “Every year, an
international agency gives organic certification after testing the soil and the farmers are advised to
stick to the organic mode. Moreover, it is their way of cultivation as they do not use chemical
pesticides or fertilizers as the soil is rich. The farmers clear the weeds twice a year and the decayed
leaves and weeds are the main agents that fertilise the soil,” says P.N. Sebastian, EDC facilitator. A
PTR official said the foundation used to directly export the produce to Germany. However, due to
official constraints, it invited bids from private agencies to procure pepper before the harvest season
every year. “In 2013, 23,565 kg of pepper was sold at Rs.35,34,750 at Rs.150 a kg (market price
Rs.129). Since we get a decent price, we are all happy to be pepper farmers,” says Remakutty, wife
of Radhakrishnan. Valsa Yesodaran, a farmer, said every week the price of the collected pepper
would be remitted in their bank account. “Other than arranging the organic certification and inviting
quotations, the foundation does not have a role in collecting the material or transferring the money to
the account holder. It is for ensuring transparency. All tribal farmers of Vancvhivayal are members on
the EDC, which procures pepper from them,” a PTR official said. (The Hindu 13/2/15)
Farmers Enumerate Benefits of Bt Cotton (20)
BENGALURU: The debate over genetically modified crops rears its head every now and then, but for
many farmers, it is an open-and-shut case. Take the example of Basavaraj F Rudagi and
Kallanagouda Patil, of Saunshi and Uppinabetegere villages in Dharwad respectively. Basavaraj
grows cotton on 15 acres of the 40 acres he owns, while Kallanagouda grows the crop on 10 acres.
Both of them say Bt cotton has almost doubled their yield, increased their earnings and reduced the
investment on pesticides and labour. According to experts, debates on GM crops are often riddled
with ill-informed remarks about the risks of such crops. Genetic modification is a technology that
cannot be ignored and may come handy to feed the 9 billion people expected to populate the planet
by 2050, they say. The farmers appear to agree. They say Bt cotton seeds are easily available at agro
centres and fertiliser shops. They are usually sold at `930 a packet, which includes 450 gm of Bt
cotton seeds for the main field and 120 gm for non-Bt seeds that act as refugee seeds along the
periphery of the main field. ‘Helps in Pest Control’: Basavaraj says, “Bt cotton has been very helpful
in reducing the damage caused by bollworm (an insect that damages the part of the cotton plant that
can be sold).” “Earlier, farmers growing traditional cotton had to spray pesticide 10 to 15 times during
the peak growth period of cotton to control bollworm infection. Now, with Bt cotton, pesticide sprays
have come down by 70 per cent, to just 3-4 rounds,” he adds. Kallanagouda says non-Bt growers
used to get a yield of four to five quintals, which is a low return. “With Bt cotton seeds, we are actually
investing less on pesticides and labour and getting a yield of 8-10 quintals,” he says. He puts the rise
in earnings at 50-60 per cent, and adds with happiness that today, 90 per cent of the cotton generated
in India is from Bt seeds. (New Indian Express 15/2/15)
UP govt to launch 1,000 agri-junctions across state… (20)
LUCKNOW: Going pro-farmer in a big way, the SP government is all set to launch 1,000 'agrijunctions' across the state. The state budget to be tabled on February 24 is likely to have provision for
the same. The aim is to provide not only farm inputs and equipment to farmers but also business
opportunity to rural youth and employment to agriculture graduates. The scheme will be announced
by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav soon and the government expects that kisan junctions would dot the
entire agricultural landscape of the state opening business opportunities for the rural youth in large
numbers and protect the innocent farmers from their exploitation from the banks to the retailers! The
one-stop will not only cater to all kinds of requirements of farmers, but also guide them in procuring
loan from banks for the farm needs and to set up small-scale food processing units and availing
technical facilities. Graduates with agriculture background would be shortlisted to run these junctions.
According to reliable sources, the chief minister has ordered to provide a subsidy of Rs 60,000 each
to the selected candidates to set up their own business .The agri junction will cost nearly Rs 4 lakh
and apart from the subsidy, the remaining amount would be funded as loans by the NABARD and
other nationalised banks. The State Agricultural Management Extension Training Institute (SAMETI)
at Rehmankhera , Lucknow, is gearing up to provide a 12-day training programme for the shortlisted
applicants. The government hopes that the agri shop promoted by it will take the chain of such marts
being run bu corporate houses. "Agri junctions would not only provide all farm inputs to farmers, but
also assist them in bank loans, and help them in availing the agriculture programmes of the UP
government and the Central governments," says a government official. The agri junctions can add on
services like maintenance and repairs of farm machinery, animal feed, retailing of agriculture produce
and processed agriculture products and even information technology kiosks. (Times of India 17/2/15)
93 farmers committed suicide in 45 days in Marathwada region (20)
AURANGABAD: Forty-five days, 93 suicides. 2015 has started quite ominously for farmers in the
perennially parched Marathwada region and activists blamed the fickle weather and the delay in
release of government compensation for this. The divisional commissionerate has reported as many
as 93 farmers' suicides in Marathwada in the last 45 days since January 1. Last year, the region had
reported 569 farmers' suicides as against 207 in 2013. A committee of each taluka comprising the
tehsildar, police officer, taluka agriculture officer, sarpanch and a panchayat samiti member probes a
suicide case to confirm if the death was due to debt burden. A farmer committing suicide is eligible for
compensation only if he possesses land and is debt-ridden. Moreover, he should have taken loan only
from either nationalized or co-operative banks and registered money-lenders. There has to be follow
up from the banks concerned for the repayment of the loan. Divisional commissioner Umakant Dangat
said, "Farmer suicide is one of the biggest challenges before the administration. Crop failure and
debts are considered the main reasons for farmers' suicide. This is common in an area where the
single crop pattern is in practice. Ensuring water security for the farmers via water management is the
solution to the problem in a region like Marathwada." He added that the farmers should be introduced
to some sustainable means of farming system. Agriculture here needs to be supplement by allied
activities like vegetable production, diary, so that farmer suicides are brought down to a great extent.
Of the total farmers' suicides committed this year in the region, 26 have been reported from Beed,
closely followed by Nanded (20) and Osmanabad (18). Parbhani has reported one farmer suicide,
while Jalna, Hingoli, Aurangabad and Latur districts have reported three, four, nine and 12 farmer
suicides, respectively. "The delay in distribution of compensation is the biggest reason for the farmers
to take the extreme step. Besides, the vicious cycle of crop loan in combination with erratic monsoon
in the region leaves the farmers with no option but to take the extreme step," said farmer activist
Jayajirao Suryawanshi. Of the 93 deaths, the administration has 26 cases pending for inquiry
because of which compensation has not been granted. District collector Naval Kishor Ram said,
"Once a farmer suicide is reported, we send it to the block level committee including tehsildar, police
inspector and agriculture officer. There are two levels of inquiries conducted and they ideally take at
least one month. We ensure there is no delay in the release of compensation." (Times of India
19/2/15)
Minimum support price cannot be 50% more than cost of produce, Centre to SC (20)
NEW DELHI: Farmers' plight has worsened due to the non-remunerative nature of agriculture but the
Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it would not be able to enhance the minimum support
price (MSP) for agricultural produce to be 50% more than the input cost. A PIL filed by Consortium of
Indian Farmers Association had complained that agriculture had become non-remunerative and was
driving farmers to borrow heavily from local money-lenders. Unable to repay loans, farmers were
committing suicide, it said. Suggesting a quantum jump in the MSP to help them overcome their
pitiable financial condition, the association had demanded implementation of the National Policy for
Farmers. Appearing before a bench of Justices S J Mukhopadhaya and N V Ramana, additional
solicitor general Maninder Singh submitted the Centre's affidavit, which said MSP for 22 agricultural
commodities and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane were recommended by the
Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). MSP and FRP were fixed keeping in mind the
cost of production, demand and supply, price trends in domestic and international markets, inter-crop
price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors and the likely impact of
MSP on consumers, the affidavit said. "It may be noted that pricing policy, that is fixing of MSP, is not
a 'cost plus' exercise, though cost is an important determinant of MSP. The pricing policy seeks to
achieve the objective of fair and remunerative prices and is not an income policy," the agriculture
ministry said. "Hence, prescribing an increase of at least 50% on cost may distort the market. A
mechanical linkage between MSP and cost of production may be counter-productive in some cases.
No comparison can be made about increase or decrease of price of one commodity as compared to
other commodities as the same depends on demand and supply and market forces," the affidavit said.
It said India accounted for only 2.4% of the world's geographical area and 4% of its water resources
but had to support 17% of the world's population and 15% of the world's livestock. "The government
has taken all possible steps for implementation of National Policy for Farmers, 2007 for development
and growth of agriculture and allied sectors as well as for the betterment of farmers," it said. (Times of
India 21/2/15)
Farmers’ unions to protest outside parliament against land ordinance (20)
New Delhi: Several farmer unions from across the country will launch an indefinite agitation against
the government’s land ordinance outside Parliament House Tuesday, which will see participation of
social activists Anna Hazare and Medha Patkar. The protest will be held with the slogan of ‘Bhoo
Adhigrahan Nahi, Bhoo Adhikar chahiye (We want Land Rights, not Land Acquisition)’ and will
coincide with the second day of the Budget Session, Patkar said at a press conference here. Patkar
Monday also joined Hazare on the first day of his two-day dharna at Jantar Mantar here. Hazare said
several farmer unions are also joining him Tuesday at Jantar Mantar on the second day of his dharna,
from where his movement would spread to rest of the country. “We reject the ordinance which is
unacceptable to farmers, farm labourers and all traders, fishermen and others, associated with the
occupation and hence it was felt necessary to bring together the agitations going on in different parts
of the country,” Patkar said. Saying that the government was likely to introduce a bill to make the
ordinance a law during the Budget Session, the Narmada Bachchao Aandolan activist said, “They
might also initiate the process of bringing changes in the Bill, hence on the very first day of the Budget
Session, we will make it known that it is unacceptable to us.” Outrightly rejecting the “government’s
bid” to initiate talks with farmers’ unions on the issue, she said any such attempt would be to
“sabotage the movement”. Calling for support from various parties against the ordinance, leaders from
left-wing farmer unions said that they had issued an “open letter” to all such outfits on the issue. “We
want to appeal to all political parties not to get trapped in the sinister designs of the BJP government,”
said CPI leader and All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Atul Anjan. Clarifying that the agitation
was not an attempt to distance itself from Anna’s dharna, National Alliance for People’s Movement
(NAPM) member Ranjit Rafiq said, “He had agreed to support our agitation but when he was coming
here, his supporters in Delhi said they too wanted to join him.” Besides, CPI’s All India Kisan Sabha
and NAPM, farmer unions like Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Kisan
Manch, and Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan, among others, would also join the agitation. In a
separate press conference, All India Agricultural Workers Union of CPI(M) also expressed its support
to the agitation and demanded a “10 per cent allocation” in the Budget for agriculture. (Indian Express
23/2/15)
Ban on jallikattu: 3,000 farmers to observe fast in Chennai (20)
CHENNAI: Around 3,000 farmers from all over Tamil Nadu would observe a daylong fast at Valluvar
Kottam in Chennai on Thursday to garner support for resumption of jallikattu (taming of bulls), which
has been banned by the Supreme Court. The fast has been organized by Gowher Aziz, animal
activist and member of the National Cattle Commission. Gowher told TOI that 3,000 farmers and
animal activists would participate in the fast to save jallikattu bulls and Tamil tradition. "Ever since the
ban on jalllikattu came into force, many pedigree bulls reared by farmers in the state have been sold
to dubious organizations which claim to be saviours of cattle but are engaged in extracting semen
from them to export," she said. She alleged that the bulls were being mistreated by such
organizations. Gowher said at a time when indigenous bull species were facing extinction, sports like
jallikattu would encourage farmers to breed them. The Centre proposes to amend the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals Act to lift the ban on the use of bulls in jallikattu. A notification issued by the central
government on July 11, 2011 banned their use as performing animals either for jallikattu or events of
bullock cart races in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country. Tamil Nadu chief
minister O Panneerselvam had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to denotify bulls
from the list of performing animals to help conduct the event during Pongal in January last. (Times of
India 25/2/15)
Land Bill: BJP forms 8-member panel to talk to farmers (20)
New Delhi: Parliament sessionBJP chief Amit Shah formed an eight-member committee on Tuesday
to seek suggestions from India's farmers on the controversial Land Acquisition Bill which was earlier
presented in the Lok Sabha amid a huge uproar. Former Union minister Satyapal Malik is the
convener of the committee, which will hold discussions with farmers and other organisations on land
acquisition. The other members are MPs Bhupender Yadav, Ram Narayan Dudi, Hukam Dev
Narayan, Rakesh Singh, Sanjay Dhotre and Suresh Angadi, along with chartered accountant Gopal
Agarwal. Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh introduced the Right to Fair
Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment)
Bill, 2015 which seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated by the NDA government on December
30, 2014. The government had promulgated the ordinance making significant changes in the Land Act
including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas -- industrial corridors, Public
Private Partnership projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence. An outraged
opposition led by the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha raising slogans against the amendment
to the 2013 law passed by the then Manmohan Singh government. "This is not right that despite
opposition it (NDA government) introduced the bill. It did not send the bill either to the standing
committee or select committees. This attitude of the government of bulldozing bills is not right,"
Congress Leader of the House Mallikarjun Kharge said. Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said
his party opposed the bill. "This is the most anti-farmer and anti-poor legislation possible. In one
stroke, it (government) has added a part in which four-five different kind of projects... It has taken
away the social impact assessment clause." Biju Janata Dal MP B Mehtab said that his party was
opposed to two changes in the original act - doing away with the consent clause and the scaling down
of social impact assessment. Responding to the opposition charges, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M
Venkaiah Naidu said: "Minority cannot dictate over the majority. We are not bulldozing." "It
(opposition) does not want to discuss. In June 2013, 32 state governments made a representation
that the act makes development impossible," he said, adding, "If anybody has any objection, then they
have to discuss. We are with the farmers." Social activist Anna Hazare is also holding a two-day
protest against the Modi government's decision to amend the 2013 land law. Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal is also expected to join his former mentor's demonstration at Jantar Mantar in the
national capital. Meanwhile, amid stiff opposition to government's move to amend the land Act, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that there was no going back. The BJP was, at the
same time, preparing for discussions with NDA partners to make the legislation more "effective" and
"farmer-friendly".At the meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party, Modi said the bill will benefit farmers
and that the amendments brought by his government were based on suggestions and demands made
by Congress-ruled states and their chief ministers. He asked his party MPs to "bust the myths"
propagated by opposition parties on it, sources said. To make the land ordinance bill more effective in
favour of farmers, the BJP and NDA leaders will meet on Tuesday evening to discuss and work out
means to further improve it. (India Today 25/2/15)
Agrarian crisis deepens in Marathwada, 93 farmer suicides reported in 2015 (20)
New Delhi: 93 farmers have reportedly committed suicide since January 1, 2015. Successive
droughts, hailstorm in 2014 and faulty agriculture policy are all contributing to the crisis. In February,
40-year-old Shamrao Rambhau Parde owning less than acre of land in Shiradshahpur in Hingoli
district of Maharashtra and reeling under weight of debt committed suicide by consuming poison. The
region has reported 569 suicides in 2014. Hingoli farmers said, "Soyabean, wheat everything was
destroyed. We didn't get a rupee from the government. I have lost all crops, how do we live." With
traditional crops not bringing them suitable price in the market, a large number of farmers have opted
for water intensive orchards and perennial crops like sugarcane, grapes, banana. The move came
despite Marathwada being an arid region. The orchard farming is capital intensive, and so framers
incur large debts. There is a long waiting period for the yield and sometimes it take years for the
investment to payoff. Crores of rupees of relief packages were announced after successive droughts
and hailstorm, but it didn't always reach the intended beneficiaries or took far too long. (CNN IBN
3/3/15)
89 Gujarat farmers committed suicide in last four years: Govt (20)
Gandhinagar: Gujarat agriculture department on Wednesday said that 89 farmers committed suicide
in the state in the last four years, while claiming that crop failure was not the reason behind the
extreme step in any of the cases. "As many as 89 farmers have committed suicide in the state from
2010 to July 31, 2014, while none of them committed suicide due to crop failure," Agriculture Minister
Babu Bokhiria said in a written reply to a question in the state Assembly. The agriculture department
has made four categories of reasons with regard to the farmers' suicides, including crop failure,
increase of agricultural debt, increase of (other) debt and other reasons. Notably, as many as 78
farmers committed suicide due to 'other reasons', while only eight took the extreme step due to
increase of debt, he said in the reply. Only three farmers ended their lives due to increase of
agricultural debt, while none of them committed suicide due to crop failure, he said. As per the figures
released today by the state government in response of a query of Congress MLA Tejshree Patel from
Viramgam seat, the state's Saurashtra region has the worst conditions for farmers as the maximum
number of suicides have been reported from there. The Jamnagar district of Saurashtra witnessed
maximum 46 suicides by the dejected farmers. Two other districts in Saurashtra, Junagadh and
Amreli, registered 14 and seven suicides respectively by farmers in four years, said the figures. Rajkot
registered five such fatalities, whereas Kutch reported three such cases in the same time span, it
said. Two cases each of farmers' suicides were registered in Bhavnagar and Porbanadar districts of
Saurashta region. The South Gujarat's Dang tribal district reported three suicides by farmers, while
one case each was registered in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Surendranagar, Vadodara,
Narmada and Surat districts. (Zee News 4/3/15)
Farmers may get aid for crop loss (20)
New Delhi: With unseasonal rains causing damage to crops in the national capital, the North Delhi
Municipal Corporation on Tuesday decided to urge the Central and the state government to
compensate farmers for the loss after duly assessing the damage caused. The civic agency has also
instructed the concerned officials to survey the damaged farms. The issue surfaced during the
standing committee meeting of the North Corporation. According to NDMC standing committee
chairman Mohan Prasad Bhardwaj, who also has interest in agriculture, the unusual rain has harmed
90 per cent crops, including spices and vegetables. He said, “The farmers have faced heavy losses.
On an average, the farmers invest about `20,000 per acre on seeds, irrigation, spray of pesticides,
manpower.” Considering that suicides by farmers continue despite a financial package being
announced for them, the corporators conveyed that a lot still can be done by the BJP-led government
in the Centre and the AAP-led government in Delhi. “The unforeseen rains have damaged most of the
standing crops in the state. The damage is quite severe. Also, most of the crops of wheat have been
damaged considerably. Most of the horticulture crops are also under stress,” said Mr Bhardwaj. The
national capital on Sunday and Monday experienced heavy unseasonal rains which brought down
temperatures, also posing a threat to agriculture crops. The untimely rain has become a cause of
worry, the corporation has also urged the revenue department to adequately compensate farmers
after duly assessing damages caused by it. The heavy downpour caused damage to tomatoes, peas
and coriander grown in the city. An unusually potent storm system lashed India over the weekend,
bringing copious rain. (Asian Age 6/3/15)
Modi govt. has deceived farmers, says Anna (20)
PUNE: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare compared the Narendra Modi government to the British
Raj, alleging that it had sold out to corporate interests. “This government has deceived farmers on
[the benefits of] the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 by pandering to the
so-called pro-development lobby. Acquiring fertile farmland has become very easy with the
government passing an ordinance under the pretext of ‘easing land acquisition [rules]’,” he wrote on
his blog. In his first attack on the Prime Minister, Mr. Hazare said farmers voted for Mr. Modi because
of his campaign slogan of Achche Din . But they were disappointed. “The violence and the tumult of
the agitations in Singur [in West Bengal] and Maan [in Maharashtra] had compelled the government to
introduce this Act. Under it, 70 per cent of the farmers need to favour land acquisition. This crucial
clause has been deleted when the Modi government passed the ordinance,” he said, terming the
measure “blatantly anti-democratic.” (The Hindu 7/3/15)
Farmer who took part in 'Chai pe Charcha' kills self (20)
MUMBAI: A farmer from Vidarbha region who had attended the 'Chai Pe Charcha' programme of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed suicide, said senior NCP leader Jayant Patil here on
Wednesday.Image for representation A farmer from Vidarbha region who had attended the ‘Chai Pe
Charcha’ programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed suicide, said senior NCP leader
Jayant Patil here on Wednesday. In the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Modi had addressed a
series of ‘Chai pe Charcha’ programmes which received tremendous response. “Farmers who had
participated in ‘Chai pe Charcha’ with Modi, are committing suicides,” Patil, NCP group leader in
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, told reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex, while referring to
the suicide committed by Vithal Rathod (45), who hailed from Dabhadi village in Yavatmal. He had
committed suicide on February 24. “On March 20 last year, Modi held a ‘Chai pe Charcha’ at Dabhadi
village in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha. He assured farmers that if they elect him, he will solve all their
problems. It’s nine months since he (Modi) came to power. Farmers waited for a long time, but with no
relief coming, Rathod committed suicide,” he said. He said Rathod committed suicide “due to burden
of loan”. “It is the biggest failure in the country that the assurance given by its top leader cannot give
confidence to farmers,” Patil said. (Deccan Herald 11/3/15)
Farmers want govt. to ensure them guaranteed income (20)
BENGALURU: With two days left for the presentation of the State Budget, Karnataka Rajya Raitha
Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekar on Wednesday demanded that the government ensure
them guaranteed income by setting up a farmers’ income guarantee commission. But differing in
terms of approach, Economist Abdul Aziz advocated the need to consider farmers as a “special social
category” on the lines of oppressed sections such as Dalits and backward classes so that they too
would get support guaranteed from the government for their welfare, including reservation in jobs and
education. Expressing concern over the plight of farmers at a seminar on ‘Farmers and budget’
organised by the KRRS and Hasiru Sene here, Mr. Chandrashekar alleged that both the State and
the Centre were looking at the agricultural sector only from the point of food security of the country
and they did not have concern for the welfare of farmers. Alleging that the Union Budget had ignored
agricultural sector and focussed only on corporate welfare, he said farmers were now looking forward
to getting some support from the State Budget. University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, ViceChancellor H. Shivanna assured farmers of holding a meeting with their representatives to elicit their
views and conveying them to the government. (The Hindu 12/3/15)
Farmer suicides: 20 yrs on, no relief yet for families (20)
HYDERABAD: The official claim notwithstanding, governments of AP and Telangana have failed to
pay compensation to the kin of farmers, who committed suicide due to mounting agricultural debts. As
many as 28,358 farmers committed suicide in Telangana and 12,016 in Andhra Pradesh in the last
two decades, according to National Crime Records Bureau. But rights activists claim that only 4,442
ryot families in Telangana and 2,200 families in Andhra Pradesh received the much-touted
compensation from the government under the 'economic support and rehabilitation package'. This in
other words means that a mere 15% of farm families in Telangana and 18% in AP actually benefited
from the compensation package. A fact-finding team of the Human Rights Forum (HRF) on Sunday
visited five villages in Chevella and Vikarabad mandals of Ranga Reddy district to ascertain the
government claim that compensation is paid immediately to the kin of farmers, who committed
suicide. The HRF team led by its general secretary VS Krishna randomly selected families of seven
farmers, who had ended their life unable to bear frequent crop loss and consequent financial burden.
The team was surprised to find that only one of the seven families had actually got the compensation.
The HRF members interacted with the farmers at Kesaram, Kammeta, Kandlapalli, Dannaram and
Pileru villages. Kummari Ramulu, a tenant farmer, who grows cotton in Kesaram village of Chevella
mandal, killed himself unable to cope up with the pressure of money lenders from whom he borrowed
about Rs 3 lakh for cultivation. He consumed pesticide on November 17, 2014. Even after four
months, no government official visited the family for verification and payment of compensation. There
are two more victims in the same village, whose families do not even know that they are entitled to
compensation. Of the seven families the team visited, only one from Pileru village in Vikarabad
mandal has received the compensation. "This clearly shows the careless attitude of the officials. Even
after several months no official has visited the devastated families. Farm suicide is a crisis of
unimaginable proportion. The least the government could do is to ensure the families are looked
after," Krishna said. When contacted Chandra Mohan, RDO of Chevella, who chairs the
compensation committee, said they are trying to speed up the process of verification to pay
compensation. "We are trying to verify as many cases as possible so that the families do not suffer. It
is true that there has been a delay in the verification process, but I have instructed officials to get data
at the earliest." (Times of India 16/3/15)
Farmer unions begin 4-day protests in Malwa (20)
BATHINDA: Demanding five-marla residential plots for homeless, financial assistance to families of
labourers who committed suicide, arrears of MNREGA scheme and old-age pension, hundreds
Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union members on Tuesday started a four-day dharna at deputy
commissioners' offices in more than half a dozen districts in Malwa region. Dharnas were held in
Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur and Bathinda. As the protesters were not allowed
to hold a dharna near the district administrative complex in Bathinda, they held it at children's park.
"Punjab government in 2014 had promised to allot plots to homeless labourers, but has not done it till
now. The government has also failed to financially compensate the suicide-hit families and is not
giving money meant for MNREGA and pension to deserving persons," Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union
state president Jora Singh Nasrali and general secretary Lachman Sewewala said. (Times of India
18/3/15)
Two more farmers end lives, one die of shock due to crop loss (20)
Kota: Two more farmers allegedly committed suicide while another died of shock after seeing their
crops destroyed in untimely rains, police said on Sunday. Premshaker Meena (20) allegedly
committed suicide by hanging himself on Saturday evening in Ladpur village of Keshoraipatan police
station area of Bundi district, they said. Premshanker committed suicide as he was deeply distressed
after seeing the destruction of his crops caused by recent unseasonal rains and hailstorm, they said.
The body was found hanging from a tree in a field, police said, adding, a case under section 174 of
CrPc was registered in this regard. In a second such incident, 21-year-old Vinod Meena, a resident of
Ramnagar village of Boodadit police station, allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison after
seeing the damaged crops in his four bighas of land on Thursday evening. The body was found
among the bushes on the way to nearby village, police said, adding, that after conducting postmortem the body was handed over to the family members. In another incident, Rameshawar Tiwari
(68), a resident of Hanotiya village of Kota district died on Friday. According to the family members,
Tiwari suddenly fell ill and restless after seeing the damaged crops of coriander over his 40 bighas of
land. He was rushed to hospital where the doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, farmers at Jalunda
village of Bundi district claimed that no survey team or relief work has reached them yet. Congress
President Sonia Gandhi had visited villages in the district here on March 20 where she met farmers,
who have suffered crop and livestock losses, and expressed solidarity with them. When asked about
the survey and relief work, ruling BJP MLA from Ladpura area of Kota Bhawani Singh Rajawat said
the state government has already announced a relief package to the rain-affected farmers and
ensured that assistance to the farmers would reach within five to six days. State president of
Rajasthan Pradesh Kisan and Khait Majdoor Sandeep Singh Choudhary demanded a compensation
of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per bigha of land for the rain-hit farmers across the state. He also
demanded exemption of electricity bills for the affected farmers for the next six months. At least 11
farmers have died so far in Kota division of Rajasthan. (Zee News 22/3/15)
89 farmers have committed suicide: Gujarat Government (20)
AHMEDABAD: The State government which has been claiming that no farmer in Gujarat has
committed suicide has admitted that in the state 89 farmers have committed suicide in the state since
2010. However of these 11 suicide were directly related to failure of crop of increase in debt due to
farmer. In reply to the question of Viramgam MLA Tejashreeben Patel, the state government said that
of the 11 death in three and half years there were three suicide related to increase in depth due to
agriculture, while another eight death were due to increase in debt and 78 suicides were due to other
reasons. The Government has stated that no farmers had committed suicide due to crop failure. The
Government said that the three suicide which were committed due to increasing in debt due to
Agriculture one each death was reported from Amreli, Bhavnagar and Surat district. These three
suicides occurred in seven months of July. Also due to increase in debt the eight death were reported
from three from Jamnagar, two from Porbandar and one each from Surendranagar, Gandhinagar and
Dang. The officials said refusing to quote said in 2014 there was a delay in the rains and the farmers
who had gone in for early sowing were forced to commit suicide. Similarly the other eight deaths
which were reported due to increase in debt was because the farmers were getting money from
private lenders instead of going to the banks. However, farmers union refusing to be quoted said that
these eight debt were also directly related to the agriculture as the farmer is forced to borrow money if
he does not good income of his produce. Also of the 78 suicide deaths also the government has tried
to divert it to other issues. "One should go and inquire each case and they will find out that all the
deaths were due to increase in debt of the farmers due to failure of crop." (Times of India 24/3/15)
‘Give aid to farmers in Rajasthan’ (20)
The Opposition Congress Wednesday demanded a similar relief package to Rajasthan farmers as the
one given to the farmers in Jammu and Kashmir following the natural calamity there last year.
Claiming that farmers are committing suicide due to heavy rains and hailstorm, Congress MLA from
Sapotara Ramesh Meena accused the BJP government of not providing compensation to farmers.
“The farmers are severely distressed as they see no hope of government relief. The government must
write off their loans and electricity bills,” he said, adding that 14 farmers have already taken their lives
as they are counting losses from crop damage and loss of cattle. “J&K was given special assistance
of Rs 1,000 crore but Rajasthan is not being provided special package despite the fact that the BJP is
in power at both the Centre and the state,” he said. Relief minister Gulab Chand Kataria, however,
claimed that the state government has acted swiftly. “Families of farmers who died because of rains
and hailstorm have been provided Rs 3 lakh. The government had transferred money online into the
accounts of district collectors on the basis of their demands,” he said. According to him, the Girdawari
report would be submitted in the next three days after which the farmers who have suffered more than
50 per cent damages would be paid relief. Kataria however asked the legislator not to link suicide
deaths with those affected by the natural calamity. He said that the government has been verifying
cause of their suicide. Meanwhile, two more farmers committed suicide in Kota division bringing the
total number of farmers’ suicide because of financial distress due to hailstorm. So far, seven farmers
have died in Bundi, four in Kota and three in Baran districts. Premshaker Meena (20) allegedly
hanged himself on Saturday evening. Premshanker committed suicide as he was deeply distressed
after seeing the destruction of his crops the police said. In another incident, 21-year-old Vinod Meena,
a resident of Ramnagar village allegedly consumed poison after seeing the damaged crops in his four
bighas of land. Rajasthan Pradesh Kisan and Khait Majdoor Sangh President, Sandeep Singh
Choudhary has demanded a compensation of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per bigha of land for the rainhit farmers across the state. (Asian Age 26/3/15)
Ban on potato export led to farmers’ suicide: Opposition (20)
Kolkata: Experts and Opposition leaders heaped criticism on the Trinamool Congress (TMC)
Government’s policy of banning the export of potato to the neighbouring States for its reduction in
demand in these States. They said that the decision was not financially logical and had contributed to
reduced prices of potato this year leading to farmers’ suicide. State’s Agriculture Minister Purnendu
Basu refuted this statement. So far, 17 potato farmers’ suicides have been reported in Bengal. In
2013, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had imposed restrictions on export of potato to other States to
curb its rising price in Bengal, which continued for one-and-a-half years. These restrictions were
however eased last year. Encouraged by the profit gained from potato farming last year, farmers had
sown potato in more than 4 lakh hectares of land. The chairperson of the Pradeshik Krishak Sabha,
the peasant wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Madan Ghosh said that the West Bengal
Government’s decision to restrict the export of potato to neighbouring States left them with no choice
but to increase their own yield of potato. “As a result, traders from other States lost interest in
importing potato from West Bengal and our farmers lost an essential means to sell their crop,” he told
The Hindu here on Sunday. Mr. Ghosh said that the potato production this year had crossed 1 crore
tonne compared to the normal yield of 90 lakh tonne. “So the State government’s decision to
purchase 50,000 metric tonne directly from farmers is grossly inadequate,” he said, adding the State’s
cold storages maximum capacity was only 65 lakh tonne. Speaking in the same vein, professor of
Economics and Rural Development in Vidyasagar University Sebak Kumar Jana said that the
decision to ban export of potato was not financially logical. “If there was adequate infrastructure to set
up more cold storages, such a loss to farmers could have been avoided,” he added. Professor of
Economics at Jadavpur University Joyashree Roy, however, said that to associate potato farmers’
suicide directly the with low price of the crop would be scientifically justified. Mr. Basu, however said
that the restriction on potato export was imposed to prevent large-scale shortage of the crop in Bengal
as it was illegally exported to Uttar Pradesh, which had low crop production in 2013. “So, it was a
positive step by the State Government that prevented the acute shortage of potato in West Bengal,”
he told The Hindu . Mr. Basu said that some dishonest potato traders were also responsible for the
present crisis as they were not buying potatoes from farmers to pressurise the State Government for
their vested interests. (The Hindu 30/3/15)
Modi asks RBI to prepare 20-yr road map for financial inclusion (20)
Mumbai : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked the Reserve Bank to prepare a 20-year road
map for financial inclusion and nudged banks to be considerate in giving loans to the poor as also
while making recoveries from them, especially farmers. "RBI will be completing 100 years in 2035...It
will be appropriate for the central bank to work on the theme of financial inclusion and prepare a road
map for achieving it," he said while addressing a function to mark the 80th anniversary of the Reserve
Bank of India. The other milestones for achieving financial inclusion could be 150th birth anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, 75th year of Independence in 2022, 90th anniversary of RBI in 2025 and
100 years of RBI in 2035, the Prime Minister said. "These are four important dates...We can create a
road map for financial inclusion," he said, adding that the financial inclusion should not remain a
government programme but should become "an article of faith".Expressing concern of farmers'
suicides and the plight of the poor people in the country, Modi asked the bankers to be considerate in
providing financial assistance to poor. Farmers' plight should, he added, shake up the conscience of
the banking sector. "Our farmers commit suicide. The pain of this should not only be restricted to
newspapers and TV screens. When farmer dies, does it shake the heart of banking sector? Because
of taking loan from money lender, he has to face death," Modi said. The Prime Minister also called
upon the bankers to extend credit to resource-rich eastern states. (Business Standard 2.4.15)
200 farmers committed suicide in Marathwada, says official (20)
AURANGABAD: The total number of farmers who committed suicide during the last three months in
the eight districts of Marathwada region has crossed 200, official sources said here today. The main
reason behind taking the extreme step is bankruptcy due to loans which cannot be repayed due to
crops destroyed by natural calamities. Notably, last year, 510 farmers ended their lives. As of 2015,
families of 105 farmers who ended their lives, received government assistance, whereas 29 farmers
were not eligible. When asked about rejection of aid to families of 29 farmers, a district administration
official said, "The criterion for government compensation states that farmers who had committed
suicide should have taken loans in his name and he should not be an alcoholic".About 39,77,000
farmers from the Marathwada region are eligible for compensation since crops including cotton, maize
and soyabean were entirely destroyed, though the total number of farmers committing suicide in
Marathwada is 206, official sources said.It may be noted that a drought-like situation has prevailed in
the region since 2011 and ground water level went down by about one feet. (Times of India 8/4/15)
Maharashtra cities corner more farm loans than villages: Study (20)
MUMBAI: At the RBI's 80th anniversary recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invoked farmers'
suicides to urge banks to lend more to cultivators. "When a farmer dies, does it shake the conscience
of the banking sector? He faces death because he has taken loans from a moneylender," Mr Modi
said. Credit to the farm sector has in fact risen across the country over the last decade. Yet, in
Maharashtra, which reports the highest farmer's suicides in the country, the bulk of farm loans
ironically do not go to farmers, says a new study based on RBI data. Although the majority of farmers
live in rural areas, a larger portion of agricultural loans are supplied by urban and metropolitan
branches of scheduled commercial banks, the study says. Urban and metropolitan branches of these
banks accounted for nearly 44% of agricultural credit, the study said. By contrast, rural branches
supplied almost 30%. The study by economists R Ramakumar and Pallavi Chavan is based on data
from the RBI's report "Basic Statistical Returns of Scheduled Commercial Banks in India" for 2013. So
loans to farmers are not driving the rise in agricultural credit. Instead the major beneficiaries in the
revival of farm credit in this decade are agri-businesses and corporates involved in agriculture, the
authors say. This is because the definition of agricultural credit has been expanded to include these
businesses. "The definition now includes loans to corporate and agri-business institutions as well as
storage equipment in cities. It also includes loans for commercial and export-oriented agriculture,"
says Ramakumar, an economist with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The growth in
agricultural credit has also been fuelled by a rise in indirect loans, the study says. Direct loans are
given to farmers while indirect loans are given to institutions indirectly involved in agricultural
production. Significantly, the share of credit to small and marginal farmers has dropped dramatically
across the country, the study shows. Instead, loans of Rs 1 crore and above are driving the revival of
agricultural credit, the study says. The share of direct agricultural loans worth less than Rs 25,000
from scheduled commercial banks has fallen sharply, the study shows. It reduced from a share of
almost 23% % in 2005 to just 4.3% in 2013. On the other hand, the share of direct agricultural loans
worth over Rs 1 crore rose from 7.5 % in 2005 to 10% in 2013. This means mega-loans worth over Rs
1 crore account for a higher share of banks loan to agriculture at 10% of the loan share than small
loans for marginal farmers which stand at 4.3%. "The 1990s were the lost decade in rural banking.
There was large-scale closure of commercial banks in rural areas," says Ramakumar. Since 2000,
there has been a growth of agricultural credit, but a major part of this growth is illusory, he says. "It is
driven by the expansion of funding to corporate and agri-business institutions involved in agriculture,
high-value loans and credit from urban and metropolitan branches," he says. (Times of India 9/4/15)
Crop loss claims 8 more farmers' lives (20)
NEW DELHI: Distressed over crop damage due to the recent unseasonal rain, four farmers
committed suicide and four others died of 'shock' in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in the past two days. In
Usmanpur village in Agra district, Radha lost her husband, 38-year-old Madanlal, who set himself on
fire on Monday after incurring losses due to the rain. "We had taken a loan and mortgaged my
jewellery for farming 10 bighas of land," Radha (33) said. "Now I'm left with nothing." Another
distressed farmer, Manavendra Singh (27) from Firozabad, hanged himself from a ceiling fan. His
relatives said he had suffered heavy losses after the frequent spells of rain in the past one month. In
Punjab, a 70-year-old debt-ridden farmer, whose wheat crop was ruined by the recent spell of
untimely rain, committed suicide in Sangrur district on Sunday. Family members said Sukhdev Singh,
who had run up a debt of Rs 4.5 lakh, hanged himself at his house in Chatha Nanhera village, near
Sunam town. Also in Punjab, Paramjit Singh (50) of Mansa district, who had grown vegetables on his
five-acre land holding, was found dead on the railway track near his village, Jawahrke. Family
members told police that Paramjit, a father of three, was under Rs 8 lakh debt. "The freak weather
continuing since February, especially last week's rain, badly damaged his vegetable crop, triggering
this step," said Ram Singh Bhainbagha, peasant leader of BKU (Ekta) of Mansa district. Sources said
Paramjit was missing from home since Sunday. Four farmers died in Agra and Firozabad after they
saw their flooded fields after Sunday's rain. Relatives of the victims claimed they died of shock. These
farmers had taken loans for the crops that now stand damaged in waterlogged farms. According to
reports, Padam Singh (56) and Ganpat Singh (60) from Kherda Hajipur village in Agra died of shock
on Monday. Kallu Singh (60) from Kesarpura village in Firozabad and Shree Krishna (50) from
Shikohabad died of cardiac arrest after taking stock of their damaged crops on Monday. More than 40
farmers have died or committed suicide in the Braj region — including Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, Etah
and Hathras — over the past 40 days after unseasonal rain destroyed thousands of hectares of fields
before harvest. (Times of India 14/4/15)
Farmer deaths in Haryana a non-issue: Ambala MP (20)
YAMUNANAGAR: At a time Haryana has seen five shock deaths of farmers in over a week due to
widespread crop damage in the aftermath of the recent spell of unseasonal rains, BJP's Ambala MP
Ratan Lal Kataria dismissed these deaths as a non-issue. Defending the BJP government, Kataria
said, "The issue has been blown out of proportion." He compared the plight of farmers in the state to
that of land owners in Vidharbha region of Maharashtra which has seen many farmer suicides. He
said, "Congress ke raj me Maharashtra me itne kisano ne suicide kar liya. Aur na jane kitne state hain
jaha Congress raj me kisano ki suicide hua hain. Haryana me ika duka mamla hai, yaha to abhi
chidiya ko jukam bhi nahi hua (So many farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra under the
Congress regime. In many other Congress-ruled states farmers had ended their lives. In Haryana,
there are barely one or two cases, so it's hardly a issue here." Speaking at a press conference on the
birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar on Tuesday, Kataria said, "Government is doing its job seriously
and the crop loss as well as the condition of farmers who suffered losses is on our agenda." He chose
to skirt the contentious issue after a few questions and promised to make the Ambala Cantonment
railway station into a world-class one with the collaboration of French government. He also listed
having a Rail Coach factory in Jagadhri as one of his top priorities. A few days ago, AAP's Yogendra
Yadav had led party workers and farmers to the house of Ambala BJP MP Rattan Lal Kataria in
Panchkula to hand over a packet of salt to remind him that he owes the farmers. (Times of India
15/4/15)
Farmers’ suicide bid rocks Upper House (20)
Patna: The issue of the starving farmers attempting suicide in districts rocked the Bihar legislative
council on Thursday when the BJP members sought special debate on government's failure to
provide compensation to those farmers whose rabbi crops were badly damaged due to the untimely
rains accompanied by hailstorm. As soon as the House assembled for the day, BJP member Rajnish
Kumar, while moving an adjournment motion, said the government has stopped buying paddy from
farmers which has resulted in further damaging the paddy crops. Amid shouting of slogans by BJP
members, Kumar said that reports of aggrieved farmers attempting suicide has come to light in
various districts due to the non-payment of adequate compensation to these farmers. Displaying
placards several BJP members, including Nawal Kishore Yadav, Sanjay Mayukh, Lal Babu Prasad,
Suraj Nandan Prasad, Baidyanath Prasad and Krishna Kumar Singh (2) trooped into the well of the
House. Despite chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh's repeated request to raise the issue during
question hour, BJP members continued shouting antigovernment slogans. Rejecting the adjournment
motion, chairman adjourned the House till lunch break without transacting any scheduled business.
Later talking to reporters, leader of the opposition in the council Sushil Kumar Modi said that for the
first time aggrieved farmers have attempted suicide in Jehanabad. Quoting a report, Modi said a
farmer, in a bid to commit suicide, jumped into "havan kund" (fire pond) in Jehanabad. Modi also said
despite Centre's decision to extend paddy procurement date till April 15, Bihar government has failed
to buy paddy from farmers. Despite damage to rabbi crops by untimely rains, Bihar government is yet
to provide adequate compensation to farmers, Modi said and added the Centre has increased the
compensation amount by one and half time to those farmers whose 33% crops were damaged.
Earlier, the percentage of damage was 50% covered under the compensation package. Talking about
Centre's revised relief package to the state, Modi said now the Centre's share is 90% and the
remaining 10% would be given by the state. This has been made applicable from the current financial
year. (Times of India 16/4/15)
'Andhra, Telangana Governments Neglecting Farmers' (20)
KARIMNAGAR: YSRCP leader and Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy criticised both TS and
AP governments for adopting anti-farmer policies and neglecting the welfare of farmers. Addressing
the district party meeting here on Sunday, he said Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao
and AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu forgot their poll promises. During the last 10 months
about 600 farmers committed suicide in Telangana but the government did not address their families’
grievances so far, he said. Over crop loss and ex gratia he said that he would raise the issue in the
Parliament scheduled to be held from April 20. Speaking about paramarsa yatra, about 30 people
died after former chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy died in a helicopter crash and to console their
family members YSRCP leader YS Sharmila will tour Karimnagar in May, he said. The party meeting
passed some resolutions stating that the district has to be declared drought-hit and the project
design of Pranahita Chevella should not be changed. He said that they would ask the Centre to grant
Rs 10,000 ex gratia to paddy and maize farmers per acre and Rs 50,000 for commercial crop farmers.
‘‘We will request the Centre to grant funds for the completion of all pending projects in state,’’ he said.
(The New Indian Express 19/4/15)
Farmers at rally claim land bill pushing up suicides (20)
New Delhi: Accusing the Modi government at the Centre of “betrayal,” most farmers who on Sunday
attended the Congress rally against the proposed Land Acquisition Bill said the community was being
pushed to suicides as there was lack of empathy towards their plight. According to 52-year-old Jai
Bhagwan, a farmer from Haryana’s Rohtak district, recent unseasonal rains had destroyed about 7080 per cent of his wheat crop. Despite repeated attempts to seek adequate compensation for his loss,
Mr Bhagwan said he was denied any financial assistance. “After repeated appeals, when patwaris
turn up to take stock of loss, they grant a menial financial help without any proper survey. They seem
to be totally disinterested,” he said. Stressing that there was a complete “apathy” towards the plight of
farmers, many of whom have also been forced to sell their lands to corporates, another farmer from
Rohtak in Haryana said many farmers were now being pushed to commit suicide. “There has been
couple of suicides from my village already.” Many farmers claimed that both the Centre and state
governments were making anti-famer decisions and alleged that there seem no intention on part of
the government to improve the conditions of the country’s agriculture community. Describing Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as “anti-farmer” and “anti-poor,” 46-year old Madan Singh from Punjab said
that rather than improving irrigation, financial and educational facilities, the Prime Minister was
appeasing the corporates. “Mr Modi recently talked about the menace of drug addiction, but it is this
BJP-Akali collation that is rendering farmer unemployed by their anti-farmer moves. What else would
they do if they are not in a position to farm?” Echoing similar views, some farmers, including those
from rural areas of Delhi, claimed that despite losing 80-90 per cent of their crops this year, they have
not received adequate compensation for their losses. Manoj Gujjar, a wheat and mustard farmer from
Rajasthan’s Alwar district, accused the Vasundra Raje government of providing less compensation to
farmers who had lost most of their agricultural yield this year. “The government is providing
compensation to those who have lost more than 50 per cent of their crop. But for even those, the
financial assistance is very low — almost a cruel joke.” Subhedar Mahinder Singh Gait from
Rajastan’s Chiru district also accused the BJP government of pushing farmers to the brink. The 55year-old wheat and maithi farmer said that the community has been forced to live in a perpetual fear
of banks and mpney-lenders, which is forcing many to contemplate suicides to avoid humiliation.
(Asian Age 20/4/15)
'Only 3 Maharashtra farmers ended life due to unseasonal rain (20)
MUMBAI: A day after TOI reported about 601 farmer suicides in the state between January and
March this year, Union agriculture minister Radhamohan Singh told Parliament that only three had
committed suicide in the state due to unseasonal rains. TOI's report was based on state government
data. The Union minister said that his figures were based on a report from the state government. "I
am basing my answer on reports provided by state governments on farmer suicides caused by
unseasonal rains and hailstorms. I do not know how credible these are," Singh told Parliament. The
state Congress has accused the BJP-led state government of trying to hoodwink the public and
threatened a state-wide agitation. "The BJP government is totally insensitive. Who will believe such
low figures," asked Congress MP and state party chief Ashok Chavan. "We will launch a state-wide
agitation seeking total loan waiver and compensation for kin of affected farmers," he added. Later,
state agriculture minister Eknath Khadse said there was no contradiction between the figures. He told
a TV channel, "There were 601 farmer suicides between January and March, of which 141 were
eligible for relief, but only three were linked to unseasonal rains and hailstorms." (Times of India
21/4/15)
Farmer's suicide at AAP rally: Police to probe role of volunteers, abetment angle (20)
New Delhi: Delhi Police have filed an FIR and assigned the crime branch to probe the suicide of
Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan who hanged himself from a tree at an Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) rally in Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. He was later declared brought dead at a city hospital.
The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 186 (obstructing
public servant in discharging duty) against unknown persons. Describing the suicide of the farmer at
his rally venue as “an extremely sad incident”, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered a
magisterial inquiry into the matter. The Delhi government has asked the district magistrate of the area
(New Delhi district) to probe the entire incident. Special commissioner of police (law and order)
Deepak Mishra confirmed the registration of FIR. He said that an inquiry by an officer of the level of
joint commissioner had begun. Joint commissioner of New Delhi range, Mukesh Meena, had been
appointed to inquire into the incident. Meena will probe the role of police officers at the spot.Police
said the AAP too had flouted rules by getting a gathering of more than 5,000 people. On Tuesday,
New Delhi DCP Vijay Singh had written to AAP member Neeraj Kumar asking him to shift the venue
of the protest to Ramlila Maidan in view of intelligence reports that their gathering was estimated to be
around 20,000. Police said that they had not granted permission to the AAP to hold the gathering at
Jantar Mantar. Police said they would take statements of eyewitnesses to probe if Singh was
instigated to end his life. Police will probe the role of the volunteers who stopped the officers at the
spot from taking the victim in their ambulance.“It was so confusing. The man was hanging from the
tree and people on the stage were asking others to maintain order. They seemed to be trying to help,
but I just fail to understand why they didn’t end the rally as soon as the man hung himself,” said
Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Laxmi Nagar who had gone to attend the AAP's farmer rally. Even as
news of the death of Singh spread, hundreds of people like Sharma wondered why the rally went on
despite the sad turn of events. Social networking websites were abuzz with remarks from people who
questioned whether political mileage was more important than the life of a farmer. “The man died in
front of everyone and yet a group of teachers continued their chants against Arvind Kejriwal and
speakers on the stage continued to talk about how sad it was that the farmer had to die. Within
minutes, people forgot that a man had killed himself in front of their eyes,” said Nirmal Kanwal, who
had come from Maharashtra. Insensitive statements started soon after. Cornered, AAP leaders put
their foot in their mouths repeatedly. While senior leader Ashutosh said party members and
volunteers were not trained to scale walls and sarcastically remarked that Kejriwal should have
climbed the tree to save Gajendra, Sanjay Singh said even the BJP has continued with its rally in
Patna despite bomb threats. Party MLA from Malviya Nagar Somnath Bharti tweeted that the suicide
was a conspiracy. Later, Ashutosh apologised for the statement and Bharti deleted his tweet.
According to party spokespersons, cutting short the rally was not feasible as the crowd was incensed.
“Had we ended the rally, commotion would have ensued. We were on the stage managing the crowd.
If he hadn’t done that it could have become a stampede,” Singh said. Twitter, however, reacted
harshly, rejecting the party’s statement and asking why the party didn’t have a more humane
response. The CM, meanwhile, condoled Gajendra’s death and said the matter will be looked into.
(Hindustan Times 23/4/15)
Crops in 189 lakh hectare damaged due to unseasonal rains (20)
New Delhi: The government on Monday told parliament that crops in 189 lakh hectare have been
damaged due to the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the country. Responding to an
exhaustive debate in the Rajya Sabha on the agrarian crisis, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh
said the data is based on the reports received from the affected states. "The centre took immediate
cognisance of the situation and decided to relax the compensation norms for crop damage," he said.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reduced the eligibility norms for compensation for crop
losses from 50 to 33 percent. "Central government also allowed states to disburse 20 percent of
amount available with the State Disaster Relief Fund to the affected farmers," he said. The debate
was taken up in the upper house last Thursday after a farmer committed suicide at an anti-land
acquisition bill rally of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. However, dissatisfied with the minister's reply,
Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress staged a walkout. Congress also staged a walkout with
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad citing absence of food minister and home minister as a
non-serious approach by government. (Business Standard 27/4/15)
Farmer's suicide case: Cops probing who wrote suicide note (20)
NEW DELHI: Cops probing the death of Gajendra Singh at AAP's rally last Wednesday are
coordinating with forensic officials to ascertain whether the suicide note recovered from the spot was
hurriedly written on the spot at Jantar Mantar and by someone else. The note had been flashed by
AAP functionaries and a TV channel immediately after Gajendra's death. A source said that initial
discussions with CFSL officials suggest that the note was written "hurriedly". The style of a few letters
seems different from the pattern Gajendra usually wrote in. Handwriting samples have been collected
from the farmer's home in Dausa, Rajasthan and sent for forensic analysis. A final opinion on the
handwriting analysis is awaited. Police are also probing the account of two witnesses who said that
some volunteers instigated Gajendra to climb the tree. On Day One, TOI had reported witnesses
saying that some people helping him climb the tree and handed over a broom. Cops are also verifying
an alleged witness's account who came to them at Tughlaq Road police station claiming that
Gajendra was seen talking to a senior AAP functionary present on the dais. "Eyewitness accounts
and police sources show that Gajendra climbed the tree after being provoked by a group of people. A
cop said video footage showed few people giving him a helping hand and also handing him a broom.
He is seen waving the broom and people standing below applauding. Thereafter, he is seen tying one
end of his gamchha (scarf) to a branch and the other to his neck," TOI had reported last Thursday. On
Tuesday, sources said that forensic experts and witness accounts show that Gajendra, most
probably, slipped immediately after tying the knot. Mohammad Shahid, a Naraina resident, who
caught Gajendra as he fell, had said that the branch he was resting his foot on was not very wide.
Meanwhile, police have scanned and identified the people who Gajendra met on his way after he left
Dausa and found no conspiracy. His call records show he visited Kurukshetra for business where he
tied pagri to people at marriage functions. One Jindal family had booked Gajendra's services online
through his website. The cops said identifying people who instigated Gajendra to climb up the tree
was their priority. They are now trying to identify the people he met at the venue. Also, police clarified
that he had not told his sister about a "big thing on TV" but just that he would be in front of cameras at
Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police also said they had not shared any probe details with Delhi government or
joined their probe. "There have been some letters exchanged between the New Delhi DCP and the
district magistrate. This sort of communication is confidential and it will not be appropriate to reveal it,"
police commissioner BS Bassi said on Tuesday. (Times of India 29/4/15)
Depression is the main cause of farm suicides (20)
The vast majority of suicides are of non farmers. Why are their deaths treated as lesser tragedies
than those of farmers? Because presenting farm suicides as a single mass tragedy can win awards
for journalists, TRPs for TV anchors, dona tions for NGOs opposing commercial crops and
globalization, slogans for leftists attributing eve rything to class war, and votes for opposition parties.
Many states now compensate suicide-hit families, delighting mon eylenders who had lent to these
families and can now use muscle to claw back their dues from the compensation money. That’s why I
titled an earlier Swaminomics in August 2004 “Everybody loves farm suicides”. India’s suicide rate of
11 per lakh people is roughly the global average. The highest rates are in Greenland (83lakh),
Lithuania (38lakh) and South Korea (28.5 lakh). China’s rate (22.2lakh) is double India’s. The Indian
rate is lower than in rich countries with big welfare systems and very few farmers: Belgium (19),
France (14.7), US (12.6), Japan (12.3), Germany (12.5) and the UK (11.8). A field-based research
study in The Lancet (by Pandit et al) sug gests that actual suicides may be 35-40% higher than
officially recorded. Many people are reluctant to corded. Many people are reluctant to report suicides.
If so, India’s rate is close to Belgium’s. Underestimation is common in developing countries. Islam
views suicide as a ter rible sin, so Pakistan claims a suicide rate of just 1.1lakh! The global suicide
pattern shows no close link with farming, poverty or welfare. The overwhelming cause of suicide is
mental stress, not financial stress. In the US, 2-15% of depressed people commit suicide. Up to twothirds of suicide victims are depressed. Mental stress (and hence suicides) will doubtless rise in times
of financial stress. But the underlying mental issues cannot be cured by loan waivers and subsidies.
Using non-official data, the Lancet study says suicide rates are no higher for farmers than nonfarmers. This has been contested by some Cambridge researchers, whose work I find very
unconvincing. Some studies based on official farm suicides show them 20-40% higher than for nonfarmers in recent years. But economist Pramit Bhattacharya shows that in 2013 even the official farm
suicide rate fell below that of non-farmers. Instead of tom-tomming this, the media have ignored
it.They would rather focus on the suicide of a farmer at an AAP rally against land acquisition,
suggesting (wrongly) that this causes suicide. Why is the media ignoring the fall in the farm suicide
rate to below the national rate? Because no journalist will get a medal and no TV anchor will get TRPs
for revealing that farmers have become less suicidal than others. Rather, this will suggest that the
awards and eyeballs that journalists, academics and TV anchors got in past years were perhaps
undeserved, and who wants to admit that? Opposition politicians, left academics and NGOs portray
farm suicides as the result of despair and poverty . But the Lancet study shows conclusively that most
suicide deaths occurred in richer states and highly educated people.Suicides are ten times more likely
in the relatively rich south than the poor north…. (Times of India 3/5/15)
Crop failure drives two MP farmers to suicide (20)
BHOPAL: Two farmers allegedly committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh after alleged crop failure due
to unseasonal rain and hail last month. One in Bhind district hanged himself from a tree along
Chambal ravines while the other jumped before a train in Gwalior on Sunday. In Bhind alone, 13
farmers have reportedly committed suicide since March 30 this year while about 20 farmers
committed suicide across the state. In all cases, government has denied farmers committed suicide.
Sunil (26) from Sagra village in Bhind had cultivated wheat on 10 bigha land along with his elder
brother Anil Singh Rajawat. He had also taken a loan of Rs 80,000 for seed and fertilizers. Anil said
his brother was upset ever since the crops were damaged by rain and hail. On Sunday, when some
villagers spotted body of Sunil hanging from a tree on the outskirts, they informed Anil. He later
informed the police. SDM Bhind, BB Agnihotri, told media he was unaware of the case so he would
cross check before making any statement. In Gwalior, about 90km from Bhind, Ramvaran Singh
jumped before a train. His nephew Ramveer Singh said that his crops were damaged by rain and hail
last year as well. His family said his daughter's marriage was scheduled in December this year but he
was already under debt and was worried how to repay it. Gwalior district administration said that
investigations are on to ascertain whether it was an accident or suicide. (Times of India 5/5/15)
Farmers furious as minister says no solution to farmland suicides (20)
Nagpur: A farmers' advocacy group from Vidarbha on Saturday locked horns with Maharashtra
Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse over his remarks that the government has no solution to stop
farmland suicides. "We are shocked by Khadse's insensitive statements on such a sensitive issue
which is a matter of concern for not only Maharashtra, but farm communities in India and the whole
world," Kishore Tiwari, president of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), told IANS. Reacting to
Khadse's view that tribals don't commit suicides as they are "morally strong", Tiwari claimed that
every second farmer is a tribal in Vidarbha and this can be verified from official records. Following a
meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other officials to discuss ways and
means to stop farmland suicides, Khadse declared that no solutions were available. "There are no
concrete solutions to completely stop farmers suicides in the state... Even after counselling, there is
no guarantee it (suicides) will stop," Khadse told mediapersons on Friday. Tiwari said: "It is mockery
of the very issue of farmers 'genocide' by Khadse. As per official records, more than 50 percent of the
victims are from ST and SC which have always been denied institutional credit, exploited by private
moneylenders and have no access to government welfare schemes." He challenged the minister to
visit the homes of Yavatmal district's tribal farmers Madhukar Pendore (Runjha village), Ramesh
Godam (Joginkawade), Kavdu Vetti (Mangurda), Tanba Todsam (Boregaon), who ended their lives in
2015. "Then he will realise what nonsense he is talking based on the misleading advice given to him
by officials. Is this the reason why Fadnavis travels abroad and is bringing Israeli experts to stop
farmers crises?" Tiwari demanded. Khadse blamed the unseasonal rains, hailstorms and recurring
droughts as the main factors behind farmers suicides. Tiwari said the agrarian crisis became critical
owing to introduction of new seeds and new cultivation methods, cash crops replacing sustainable
drought-prone food crops around the state since 1998. He pointed out how more than a dozen
commissions, committees, expert panels and research groups have submitted comprehensive reports
and recommendations to curb farmland suicides and yet Khadse feels there is no solution. "He must
immediately resign," he demanded.The VJAS reiterated how the BJP leaders wooed the farmers for
their votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections by making tall promises, and in one year
the government has shrugged off responsibility by saying there is no solution. (Deccan Gerald 9/5/15)
Rajasthan farmer suicides dip (20)
Jaipur: Notwithstanding recent brouhaha over Rajasthan farmer Jitendra Singh’s suicide at an Aam
Aadmi Party’s rally in Delhi, the number of farmers committing suicide in the desert state is constantly
declining. After many ups and downs, farmer suicides touched an all-time low of 268; although it went
up a bit in last two years to 270 in 2012 and 292 in 2013, but still far lower than the all-time high of
851 in 2009. In fact, despite far more adverse conditions for agriculture, farmers suicides never
became an issue in Rajasthan till recently controversial suicide of Jitendra Singh at the AAP rally in
Delhi last month. Unlike states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh
where large numbers of farmers commit suicide every year, farmers’ suicide in Rajasthan have never
been linked to crop damage or financial stress, said experts. The total number of farmers’ suicides in
last five years in Rajasthan is almost half of Maharashtra in a single year. Although, 42 farmers have
committed suicide in last two months allegedly because of crop damage but experts refuse to believe
crop damage as the reason. Professor M.S. Rathore, a water and livelihood expert, claimed that state
government tended to exaggerate crop damage to demand big relief package. “This is not to suggest
that farmers are not facing problem, but truth is it has more to do with pricing mechanism aimed at
keeping keep food inflation in check, which denies farmers rightful gain.” Besides, he says farmers in
Rajasthan are not much into capital intensive commercial crops like their counterparts in other states
therefore they can easily cope up with financial losses. Also, farmers here have other means to
survive. Most farmers are also in dairy business. Also, one member of the family is being sent to
government service specially army or police to support the family in bad times. They even temporarily
migrate to other states to work as labourers in cities. Former agriculture scientist Manohar Vyas
agrees with him but has a different take. According to him the average yield has gone up at least 10
times because of improved Irrigation facility. A small dip in yield is therefore unlikely to affect them
because even after the damage the yield now is still much more than what it used to be normally a
few years ago. Experts also believe that farmers in Rajasthan are mentally tough and prepared to
face crop loss. “Rajasthan is a desert state. There is drought every alternative year; therefore, farmers
here are more adept at handling such crisis,” explained Dr Arunesh Singh who has done a study on
long term impact of drought on people’s behaviour. (Asian Age 12/5/15)
1,000 farmers committed suicide after TRS came to power: TDP (20)
HYDERABAD: Senior Telugu Desam leader and party’s Polit Bureau member, Ravula
Chandrasekhar Reddy, has said that 1,000 farmers committed suicide after TRS came to power and
charged the State government with failing to protect the interests of farmers. At a press conference at
TDP office on Wednesday, he said the details of the suicides village-wise and constituency-wise were
available. He demanded that the government pay an ex gratia of Rs. 5 lakh each to the kin of farmers,
who ended their lives, implement Swaminathan Commission report and prepare a concrete plan to
make agriculture profitable. Referring to the tour of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said
24,000 farmers had committed suicide in the united AP between 2004 and 2014. He demanded that
the Congress leader visit and console the families of farmers who committed suicide during Congress
regime and provide assistance to them. (The Hindu 14/5/15)
Records may not show, but women farmers dying too (20)
AKOLA: For the last 23 years, Rukhmabai Rathod had run her 6-acre farm virtually single-handedly.
After her husband's death in 1992, the uneducated but determined woman took charge. She decided
what to sow, how much to spend and stood her ground with banks and creditors. "She was
anguthachaap but she understood everything," says her brother-in-law Babulal Rathod from the
Kazadeshwar village in Vidarbha's Akola district. "I didn't think she would manage but she proved
everyone wrong," he admits. The Banjara tribal woman even got her three children married without
help from anyone. Yet in March, after more than two decades of shouldering responsibilities,
Rukhmabai's courage ran out. Saddled with farming debts worth Rs 3 lakh, she swallowed pesticide
and died at home. The cotton belt of Vidarbha reports the highest farmer suicides in the country, but
the distress of women cultivators is rarely recorded. "Suicides by women farmers are less common
but not that unusual. But they don't get recorded because women are often landless or the land is not
in their name," says activist Kishor Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. As many as 16.46 lakh
rural households in Maharashtra are headed by women, according to the Census 2011. This accounts
for 12.5% rural households. In fact, the rise in suicides among male farmers in the state has led to
their widows bearing the burden of running both the home and the farm. Yet only 126 suicides by
women farmers in Maharashtra were recorded by the National Crime Records Bureau in 2013,
compared to 3,020 by male farmers. "In most cases, suicides by women farmers are classified as
dowry deaths or accidents," says Tiwari. Rukhmabai is among the few women cultivators here whose
death has been classified as a "farmer's suicide" perhaps because her farm was in her name. Her
family is eligible for state compensation. "I don't remember a time when my mother was not working,"
says Rukhmabai's son Nagorao. In fact, in all farming families, it is women who do the bulk of jobs like
sowing and weeding. For the last several years, Rukhmabai's family had been growing soyabean. But
rising costs and declining yields in the last three years pushed them deep into debt. Then Nagorao
had a near-fatal accident last year that burdened them with an additional Rs 1 lakh loan for his
surgery. "We used to take loans earlier too, but we always had some income. This year we barely
made any money because of the drought," says Nagorao. Over time, the family sold its bullocks and
then its goats as well. By the end Rukhmabai knew she would have to borrow again. "She had
borrowed from her relatives and could not face them. She had run out of options," said her daughterin-law Sarla Rathod. Nagorao's accident has left him incapable of running the farm. In the
neighbouring district of Yavatmal, another woman farmer lives on the edge. Five years ago, Sangita
Pancheniwar from Hivra village ran a four-acre farm with her husband. But he committed suicide in
2010, leaving her to fend for his ageing parents and two school-going children. After two crops failed
in the drought, she tried renting out the farm but it had no takers. She now works as a farm hand for a
few days a week. "I get work maybe twice a week for Rs 100 per day," she says. With a loan of Rs 1
lakh still to be paid off, she fears for her children's education. Her daughter Nikita is in the tenth
standard and hopes to be a teacher, while her son Sai is in the ninth. "We are reduced to eating
bhakri and chutney. How can I afford to keep them in school?" she asks. (Times of India 17/5/15)
Debt Trap Leads Farming Couple to Consume Poison in Patna, Husband Dies (20)
PATNA: Worried over financial crisis, a farmer has committed suicide by consuming poison at a
village near here, police said on Wednesday. Ramesh Singh, 50, who was in a debt trap, consumed
poison on Tuesday night at his house in Chechail village, about 20 km from here. His wife Chinta Devi
also consumed poison and is now admitted in ICU. "After both of them consumed poison tablets,we
rushed them to a private hospital where Singh was declared brought dead and his wife was admitted
in a critical condition," Mukesh Singh, a relative, said. Singh's wife is in ICU and not out of danger, he
said. Some villagers told district officials, who visited the village after the incident, that Singh was
tensed as his paddy was not sold as he wanted and his wheat crops were badly damaged. "Singh
was in debt trap and wanted to come out of it," police said. Patna District Magistrate Abhay Kumar
Singh said he has ordered an enquiry into the incident. (New Indian Express 20/5/15)
UP emerges as biggest contributor to India’s agriculture sector: Assocham study (20)
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has emerged as biggest contributor to India's agriculture and allied sector
as of 2013-14 with a share of about 13%, according to a recent Assocham study. "Agriculture and
allied sector contributes just over 22% to UP's gross state domestic product (GSDP) as of 2013-14,"
highlighted the study titled 'States Emergence: A comparative analysis of growth & development,'
conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). "UP has
acquired 15th position amid top 20 states in India with a mere 3.2 per cent compounded annual
growth rate (CAGR) in agriculture and allied sector during the decadal period of 2004-05 and 201314," noted the study prepared by the Assocham Economic Research Bureau (AERB). "UP
government needs to take corrective measures to revive agriculture production as it is chiefly an
agrarian state and holds tremendous potential to attract significant investments in agri-infrastructure
like wholesale and retail trading, storage, distribution and irrigation sectors," said Mr D.S. Rawat,
national secretary general of Assocham while releasing the findings of the chamber's study.
Assocham has given following recommendations to UP government to perk up state's agriculture
scenario. 1: Disconnect between farmers and consumers or market is a major cause of farmers not
able to benefit fully from modern scientific developments in farm industry. "This disconnect should be
corrected through programs like E-Choupal (an experiment of ITC). 2: Old mandi system should be
replaced with modern competitive supply chains that would synergize agriculture and farm economy.
3: Information related to monsoon, agriculture price of crop should be provided to farmers as per their
convenience so that it could fetch maximum benefits for them. Information through mobile and
Internet should be extended in order to provide better service. 4: Farming should be encouraged and
promoted through providing best price of crop to the farmers. Trade fairs should be organized
especially in rural areas with the participation of farmers through public-private partnership (PPP)
model. 5: New commercial crops should be sought for and promoted to break the monotonous and
risky dependence on single crop in the hinterland. 6: Contract farming concept should be
implemented on a bigger scale and large farms should be promoted either through consolidation or
outright purchases. 7: Better seeds, top-quality farm equipment, fertilizers and others should be
provided to farmers. Besides, better water conservation and proper irrigation management should be
implemented in rural areas by creating awareness of its respective benefits amid farmers. 8:
Government should provide agriculture insurance schemes to farmers who are involved in large scale
farming and a PPP model could be developed for providing comprehensive insurance for agri-crops in
the Rabi and Kharif season especially for sugar, pulses, wheat, rice and other prominent crops.
(Times of India 22/5/15)
‘Mahapanchayat’ in Erode on May 25 to discuss farmers’ problems (20)
ERODE: A ‘Mahapanchayat’ of farmers’ associations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka will be
held here on May 25, to evolve a strategy for coming out of the adverse conditions for agriculturists
across the country. Suicides by scores of farmers in recent years and the struggle by their povertystricken families due to denial of government support will be a main discussion topic. The
‘Mahapanchayat’ will take stock of the situation arising out of farmers migrating in large numbers to
cities to work as labourers for survival. In the backdrop of absence of remunerative price for
agricultural produces and inability of farmers to settle bank loans, the Land Acquisition Bill of the
Union Government would deal a deadly blow to the already struggling agriculture sector, said P.K.
Deivasigamani, president, All India Turmeric Farmers’ Association, here on Friday. There was a
danger of several lakhs of farmers committing suicide if the government failed to write off pending
loans. The ‘Mahapanchayat’ will devise ways and means to prevent such suicides through collective
efforts of the associations, Mr. Deivasigamani said. (The Hindu 24/5/15)
Modi's one year in power saw 1,306 farmer suicides in Maharashtra (20)
Nagpur: A record 1,306 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra during the one-year period of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in office - between May 20, 2014, to May 25, 2015, a farmers'
watchdog body said here on Monday. This figure is around 40 percent higher than the same period
between May 2013-May 2014, said Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti chief Kishore Tiwari. While there are
various views about Modi's one year in power, most of them being optimistic, it is not true of the
Maharashtra farmers, particularly in Vidarbha - which is the epicentre of Indian farmland suicides in
the past 10 years, said Tiwari. "Official statistics say 1,306 farmers ended their lives as the NDA-II
marks its first year in power. In fact, the trend has been increasing and the first 140 days of 2015
(from January 1) recorded the highest ever 448 suicides, indicating serious distress prevailing in the
five million agrarian community of the state," Tiwari told IANS. He said last year's crises, including
extensive damage to Kharif and Rabi crops, severe climatic changes resulting in bouts of droughts
and floods coupled with hailstorms, and market recessions, have spurred the suicide rates in the
state. "There is no interest among farmers in the ongoing celebrations of PM Modi's first anniversary
in the dying fields of Vidarbha and other parts of the state where over three million cotton farmers and
two million tribal families continue to battle starvation," he said. In the past 10 years, he pointed out,
Vidarbha has hit international headlines with more than 11,000 debt-trapped cotton farmers' suicides
and now Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sought help from Israel to arrest the trend. The state
farmers had celebrated with joy when Modi was swept to power and he assured a solution to their
(farmers') problems within 100 days of taking office by proposing some revolutionary formulae. "Now it
is already a year, but the NDA-II seems to have forgotten all its promises on the basis of which the
farmers voted for them en masse. The healing touch never came, there was no waiver of old loans or
sanction of new loans," Tiwari lamented. Though the Maharashtra government has declared that
23,811 of the state's 39,453 villages, or around 60 percent, are affected by drought with more than 12
million hectares of farmlands damaged, little is being done to address the situation. The last union
budget spoke of mega investments for infrastructure, but failed to tackle the core issue of direct relief
packages to the farmers, especially the cotton cultivators who were throttled by the global open
market economy and mismatched demand-supply situation, Tiwari said. "Most other promises of the
government for farmers turned out to be a 'kisan jhumla' and farmers continue to end their lives. On
the eve of Modi's one year in office being celebrated, at least 10 farmers have committed suicide in
the past three days alone," Tiwari said. (Deccan Herald 25/5/15)
Rs 5-lakh compensation to farmer families sought (20)
SANGAREDDY: Joint Action Committee (JAC) of farmers held here on Tuesday demanded that the
government extend Rs 5 lakh as ex gratia for the families of farmers who had committed suicide.
“Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao himself had claimed that Telangana is a surplus State and
allocating crores of rupees for various schemes and buildings. Can’t Mr. Rao spare about Rs. 50
crore for families of farmers?” asked JAC leaders. “We thought that the problems of farmers’ get
solved once the Telangaana State was formed. But the situation had turned worse and about 850
farmers had committed suicide after formation of separate state. The government is not taking any
steps to arrest the suicides,” said Sagar, one of the JAC leaders. “Many suicides could have been
averted had the government waived the farm loan at one stroke. Farmers were forced to go for
outside loans at an interest rates ranging from Rs. 2 per month per Rs. 100 to Rs. 5 per month per
Rs. 100. This has crippled their financial conditions,” said Pakala Srihari Rao, another JAC leader.
The programme was organised by Jayaraj, Telangana Rytu Sangam. (The Hindu 27/5/15)
Modi's income insurance idea may not win over angry farmers (20)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to provide millions of farmers with income insurance
linked to crop prices, officials say, but it may not do much to ease rural distress, with small farmers
standing to benefit little and likely to be put off by bureaucracy. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which
swept to office a year ago, hopes to consolidate its power in local elections in large rural states over
the next two years, but anger is growing after rain and hailstorms ravaged farms in the north,
contributing to the suicide of hundreds of ruined farmers. Modi has already tried an income-based
farm insurance scheme in his home state of Gujarat, with limited success - less than 10% of farmers
opted into the scheme from 2013 as the method for calculating payouts was skewed against smaller
farms. Details of the new insurance plan are still being worked out but federal farm ministry officials
say the aim would be to ensure a guaranteed income for farmers by covering not just losses due to
weather but also from any slump in produce prices. However, the absence of modern methods for
assessing damage to crops or falls in yields will continue to favour big farmers over the 260 million
smallholders in India who till plots smaller than 2 hectares (5 acres). Under the new plan - which a
farm ministry official said was a priority for Modi - farmers would be paid if their income fell below a
guaranteed minimum. That minimum would be set by multiplying the average yield in recent years in
a cluster of villages by government-set crop prices. However, shortfalls would be based not on
individual farmers' yields but on those across a wider area, influenced by the higher yields of rich
farmers able to afford better fertiliser and pesticide. So a farmer with a poor crop will only get the
same compensation per hectare as others who may have had far higher yields. In the United States,
satellites or drones are used to assess crops for income-based insurance policies but India still
depends on more primitive methods, with personnel from land record offices travelling around villages
to inspect damage. "We're taking baby steps in satellite mapping of farms but unless the technology
covers the entire country, crop loss assessment will remain a tedious, time-consuming and inaccurate
process," said Avinash Kishore, an economist with the US-based International Food Policy Research
Institute…. (Business Standard 3/6/15)
Country’s top corporates owe U.P. farmers Rs. 6,000 crore (20)
Meerut: Several sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh have committed suicide as they are yet to get
more than Rs. 6,000 crore owed to them by some of the country’s top corporates for this crop season
alone. The corporate houses that owe the State’s farmers money include Bajaj, Birla, Modi group and
the liquor baron Ponty Chaddha-led Wave group. These private defaulters, which own 40 of the 103
sugarcane mills, have left the farmers in a state of crisis. According to an Uttar Pradesh Cane
Development department document accessed by The Hindu, the figures of arrears the industrialists
owe the State’s farmers are the highest in the country. The top defaulter is Bajaj group which is yet to
pay Rs. 1598 crore to the farmers. The Mawana group, which owns three mills in the State, has
defaulted on the payment of Rs. 524 crore. The Birla group, which owns five mills, owes Rs. 376.5
crore, the Modi group, with two sugar mills owes Rs. 406 crore. The Yadu group, owned by U.P.
strongman D.P. Yadav has defaulted on payment of Rs. 50 crore. The Dalmiya group which owns
three mills is yet to pay Rs. 94.3 crore. There are 20 others in the list with smaller outstanding
amounts. Senior officials of the Cane Development department told The Hindu that the officials will
soon initiate action against the top defaulters. A senior office-bearer of the Sugar Mill Owners
Association said, on condition of anonymity, that the “government needs to seriously look at the crisis
in the sugar industry and reward those who pay the farmers even in this crisis.” “There is no dispute
that the private sugar mill owners owe more than Rs 6,000 crore as arrears but frankly, the industry is
going through a big crisis. Due to the decreasing sugar prices we are unable to recover the money
from the market. So, we are just not in a position to pay Rs. 240 per quintal,” he said. Sudhir Panwar,
a farmer expert argued that farmers have not got even a fourth of the price of the sugarcane they sold
to these private players. (The Hindu 6/6/15)
Shift farmers to countries which Modi has granted loans: VJAS (20)
Mumbai: Farmers' advocacy group Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) on Sunday attacked NDA
government over alleged farmers' suicide in the country saying the crop growers should be "shifted" to
one of the foreign nations to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted loans. "It pains and
shocks us to see Modi giving money to every country that he visits without making a single visit to the
Vidarbha region where more than 1,300 farmers committed suicide last year. His election promise of
waiving farm loans and granting fresh farm credit to indebted farmers has turned out to be an empty
one," VJAS convenor Kishor Tiwari told reporters here. Tiwari said that on Modi's recent visit to
Mongolia, he announced a credit line of USD 1 billion for its economic capacity and infrastructure as
well as announced a fresh line of credit of USD 2 billion to Bangladesh. "Thus, to get a fresh farm
credit, we urge Modi to shift us to either Mongolia, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Nepal, Fiji or Sri Lanka so
that the agrarian crisis comes to an end," he said. He said that it is "shameful" for the Indian
government to give credit to other countries at a time when it has refused to give any money to
farmers in Maharashtra citing financial constraints. (Zee News 8/6/15)
Farm widow ends life, 100 days after meeting Maharashtra CM (20)
Yavatmal (Maharashtra): Barely 100 days after meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis, a farm widow from Pipmpributi village here ended her life on Friday, a watchdog NGO said.
Fadnavis had called on and consoled the victim, Shanta Tajane -- whose husband Prahlad Tajane
had committed suicide four years ago -- while on a tour of the district on March 3 this year. "At the
meeting, she had demanded a well, a motor pump and electric connection to continue tending her
farm which was lying abandoned after her husband's suicide. However, despite Fadnavis'
assurances, there was no progress in the matter and she took the extreme step today," Vidarbha Jan
Andolan Samiti President Kishore Tiwari told IANS. He added that after Prahlad Tajane's death four
years ago, the government had given an aid of Rs.100,000, of which Rs.30,000 was disbursed as
interim relief and the balance was kept in a joint bank account with the state government. Tiwari said
Shanta Tajane's problems were compounded as she was unable to withdraw the balance amount
(Rs.70,000) from the bank account, as nobody guided her on the formalities to be completed at the
collector's level. Out of sheer frustration, she ended her life and her last rites were completed in the
village on Friday afternoon. The farm widow's suicide came a day after a former director of a local
cooperative credit society Madhav Gole Patil in Ghoddhara village committed suicide by jumping into
a well. "Patil, who was a cotton farmer and a social activist, left a suicide note in which he urged the
government to give farm loans waiver, higher minimum support price to agriculture produce and
disbursement of the relief aid declared in October 2014," Tiwari said. This year, since January 1, the
number of farmers suicides has touched around 1,090, though state government officials question
whether all are related to the agrarian crises. (New Kerla 12/6/15)
Cane farmers set to turn assembly session bitter (20)
BELAGAVI: The suicide of a debt-ridden cane farmer last week and the dues sugar factories owe
farmers will once again rock the Belagavi assembly session set to begin here on June 29. Farmers'
organizations and the BJP are set to corner the chief minister on the crisis brewing in the farming
community. The November 2013 winter session was marred by the suicide of farmer Vittal Arabhavi
from Kankanwadi village in Raibag taluk. Arabhavi consumed poison in front of the Suvarna Vidhana
Soudha when the session was in progress. The suicide led to widespread protests by farmers across
north Karnataka districts forcing chief minister Siddaramaiah to announce an additional Rs 150 as
support price for per tonne sugarcane. Last week Gurunath Chapgaon, 55, of Badal Ankalagi village
of Belagavi taluk committed suicide by consuming pesticide. Hinting at Gurunath's death as an issue
to fight anti-farmer policies of the government during the session, Kurubur Shantakumar, state
president of Karnataka Sugarcane Farmers Association, met the family members of the farmer on
Friday. He announced a massive protest and hunger strike during the session. Shantakumar
demanded that the government file criminal cases against Malaprabha Cooperative Sugar factory of
MK Hubli and penalize it Rs 25 lakh and transfer the same amount to the victim's family. He alleged
that the farmer committed suicide because the sugar factory delayed in its payment. According to
Sugar (Control) Order, factories must pay farmers within 14 days of sugarcane supply, which did not
happen in this case. He also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation to the farmer's family. Farmer
forums have threatened Mallikarjun Jakati, state president of Karnataka Krishi Sangh and Basavaraj
Malali, district president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha to stage a protest in front of district minister Satish
Jarkiholi's residence demanding clearance of sugarcane dues for 2013-14. (Times of India 13/6/15)
Farmers suffering from depression, need support: BJP (20)
BHOPAL: BJP national vice-president and Madhya Pradesh party in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe on
Monday said that not making crop insurance a priority in the country has resulted in increasing cases
of depression and addiction with our rural population. Defending the necessity of crop insurance for
farm sector, Sahasrabuddhe said, "Insurance has been defined as mitigation of uncertainties. And
with that definition, agriculture being a sector where uncertainty is largely prevalent, a national crop
insurance should be a major agenda." Sahasrabuddhe was addressing a gathering of agricultural and
insurance experts at the inaugural session of the two-day National Conference on Crop Insurance
being held here. "Not taking crop insurance seriously so far, has had damaging repercussions. At one
time depression was a phenomenon of urban society. But today, psychiatrists have more patients of
addiction and depression coming for the villages," he said. The BJP vice-president argued that
independent organisation Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini conducted a study of 2,500 farmers of the
Vidharba region of Maharashtra who committed suicide. "It was found that the village commune and
institutions have undergone a sea change. When a farmer commits suicide, he hardly gets the
sympathy of his neighbours the way he would be grieved even ten years ago. The village school,
panchayats and temple do not give him the social and community support that it did at one time. And
the administration consists of people from outside, officers who have the knowledge but are not that
sensitive," Sahasrabuddhe said. "Under such circumstances, a crop insurance policy can provide the
support and security that is badly required by the agrarian community at these times," he added. The
BJP leader said that crop insurance could stop the drop-out rate of farmers. "We talk of school-dropouts hardly noticing the drop-out from the far sector. The village youth no longer wants to make a
career and living out of farming largely because of the risk factors," he said. (Times of India 15/6/15)
Rahul visits family of farmer who committed suicide in Punjab (4)
Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today met the family of Punjab
farmer Surjit Singh who killed himself in Fatehgarh Sahb on June 11, a day after the Centre
announced marginal increase in MSP. Mr. Gandhi expressed solidarity with the crisis-hit farmers.
Surjit Singh had explained the Punjab agrarian crisis to Mr. Gandhi on his mandi visit on April 28.
Today's visit was kept a secret from the leaders of the Punjab Congress unit which has been involved
in a leadership tussle. Surjit Singh, while explaining the farming community’s distress to Rahul, had
said: “If the farmers’ issues remain unresolved, many farmers might commit suicide.” “My father owed
six acres but we are tilling 19 acres on contract. Due to less production, the family gets nothing as all
the amount is paid to clear dues of land owners. He was under depression. He consumed Celphos (a
brand name for compound Aluminium Phosphide),” Surjit Singh’s son Kulwinder Singh said. The
farmer had a debt of around Rs. 13 lakh. (The Hindu 18/6/15)
Bt Cotton leading to suicides in rain-fed areas: U.S. study (20)
New Delhi: The cultivation of Bt Cotton, a genetically modified, insect-resistant cotton variety, is a
risky affair for Indian farmers practising rain-fed agriculture, says a latest study published by
California-based agricultural scientists in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe . Annual suicide
rates of farmers in rain-fed areas are directly related to increase in Bt Cotton adoption, say the
scientists Andrew Paul Gutierrez, Luigi Ponti, Hans R. Herren, Johann Baumgartner and Peter E.
Kenmore, who are associated with the University of California, Berkeley, and the Centre for the
Analysis of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, California. Revisiting the raw annual suicide data for
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra during 2001-2010, the authors found 86,607 of
549,414 suicides were by farmers, and 87 per cent were men with the numbers peaking in the 30-44
age group. Total suicides per year per State were regressed singly on the averages of proportion of
area seeded to rain-fed cotton, average farm size, cotton-growing area, area under Bt Cotton,
proportion of area under Bt Cotton, and simulated average yield a hectare that includes the effects of
weather. Excluding the proportion of area seeded to rain-fed cotton, linear multiple regression shows
suicides decrease with increasing farm size and yield, but increase with the area under Bt Cotton, the
authors say. The study is significant for two reasons. First, most cotton cultivation in India is rain-fed.
Second, between 2002 and 2010, the adoption of Bt Cotton hybrid went up significantly to 86 per cent
of the total cultivated area of cotton in India, says the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications. Though cultivating the Bt Cotton variety may be economic in irrigated areas, the
costs of the seed and insecticide increase the risk of farmer bankruptcy in low-yield rain-fed settings.
The study challenges the common assumption in economic analyses that cotton pests must be
controlled to prevent monetary losses, thus encouraging Bt Cotton adoption. The annual emergence
of the key cotton pest pink bollworm in spring is poorly timed to attack rain-fed cotton and large
populations of the pest fail to develop in non-Bt rain-fed cotton, the authors say. This reduces, and
usually prevents, the need for Bt Cotton and disruptive insecticides. The authors recommend that
high-density short-season cotton could increase yields and reduce input costs in irrigated and rain-fed
cotton. Bt Cotton has been shown to improve cotton yields by past studies, such as the one
conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute in 2012. This study, examining the
contribution of Bt Cotton adoption to long-term average cotton yields in India in nine cotton-producing
States from 1975 to 2009, showed that Bt Cotton contributed 19 per cent of the total yield growth over
time, since its introduction in 2002.However, experts have responded to the new Berkeley study with
concern. Former Union Environment and Rural Development Minister and Rajya Sabha member
Jairam Ramesh told The Hindu that India, now being the second largest country in the world
cultivating Bt Cotton, could not afford to ignore the findings of this new study. “These findings call for
serious discussion relating to the GM crop’s long-term sustainability in Indian agriculture,” he said.
Veteran agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan said the merits of Bt Cotton adoption remained
debatable as some had approved it for giving a better yield, while some questioned the claim. (The
Hindu 21/6/15)
Farmers unhappy over meagre hike in minimum support price for paddy (20)
SALEM: Various farmers associations have criticised the paltry increase in the minimum support price
for paddy announced by the Centre recently and appealed for reasonable hike with immediate effect.
The meagre hike only proved the step-motherly treatment meted out to the agriculture sector by the
Centre, they alleged. A.R. Shanmugam, president of the Salem District Agricultural Production
Committee, Panamarathupatti, said that the Centre a few days ago announced the increase of Rs. 50
per quintal (from Rs. 1,360 to Rs. 1,410) in the minimum support price for paddy, which was very
much unjustified. The farmers had to invest much for procuring fertilizers and quality seeds. Farm
labour had also become very scarce. Moreover, farmers suffered heavy loss regularly due to natural
calamities. Increasing the minimum support price for paddy by just 50 paise per kg would in no way
benefit the farming community. The meagre hike was a big disappointment, Mr. Shanmugam said and
pleaded with the Government to hike the minimum support price by Rs. 500 per quintal. The Tamil
Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to the Communist Party of India (CPI) too criticised the Centre’s
decision and said that it was nothing but ‘betrayal of farmers’. The prices of all farm inputs had gone
up manifold and the farmers were expecting reasonable hike in the paddy support price, said R. P.
Ramasamy, president of the Salem district unit of the Sangam. The Centre should reconsider its
decision and hike the support price to bring solace to the suffering farming community, he said. C.
Vaiyapuri, president of the United Farmers’ Association – Tamil Nadu, said that the measly increase
in minimum support price was a big disappointment. Noted farm scientist M. S. Swaminathan
recommended the fixation of the minimum price for agricultural produce based on the expenses
incurred plus 50 per cent incentive. The Government should implement Mr. Swaminathan’s
recommendation while fixing the price for paddy and other agricultural produce. Mr. Vaiyapuri also
pleaded with the Centre to fix the minimum support price for ordinary paddy at Rs. 2,500 per quintal,
special grade at Rs. 3,000, dhal between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 5,500 per quintal, millets between Rs.
2,000 and Rs. 2,500 per quintal and oil seeds between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 5,000 per quintal. (The
Hindu 22/6/15)
Sugarcane farmers find resonance in K’taka suicide (20)
Meerut: A day after a distressed debt-ridden sugarcane farmer allegedly committed suicide by setting
fire to the crop and jumping into it in Mandya district of Karnataka, local farmers held a memorial
service for him on Friday. Finding resonance with farmers' struggle across the country, they observed
a two-minute silence and prayed for the departed soul. Expressing his condolences, president of the
Bharatiya Kisan Andolan (BKA), Kuldeep Tyagi said, "I offer my condolences to his family and to the
families of other farmers who were forced to take the extreme step. Farmers in the state have been
struggling as sugar mill owners have not paid them their dues." Ningegowda, a 60-year-old physically
challenged sugarcane farmer in Mandya district, also met a similar fate. According to a TOI report, a
heavily debt-ridden Ningegowda committed suicide after being humiliated by moneylenders in front of
his family. Tyagi, who led the delegation that met minister of state of agriculture Sanjeev Balyan
recently, slammed the minister. "When we requested the minister for a loan waiver for farmers in the
state, he said it was not possible as it was the sole prerogative of the state government. He said they
had to help farmers from across the country and not just one state. If our counterparts in the south are
also committing suicide, whose responsibility is the government taking? The Centre has failed farmers
and there is a conspiracy to create a Kisan-mukt Bharat (farmer-free India)." With at least seven
farmer deaths in less than two months, Meerut has witnessed a spate of farmer suicides this summer.
After unseasonal rains damaged crops, farmers have been demanding a loan waiver from the Centre
and state government. (Times of India 26/6/15)
‘Pay dues to farmers and recover by auctioning sugar’ (20)
BELAGAVI: The issue of dues to sugarcane farmers rocked the Legislative Council on the opening
day of the session at Belagavi, with Leader of Opposition K.S. Eshwarappa demanding that the
Government pay the dues out of its own coffers and then recover it by auctioning the sugar seized
from defaulting mills. Mr. Eshwarappa raised the issue as an adjournment motion, but it was later
taken up for debate under Rule Number 68. He said that it was the only way to stop "serial suicide" of
farmers. He said the government had already seized 7,80,000 metric tonnes of sugar from factories
which would fetch the Government Rs. 1,575 crore at the rate of Rs. 20 per kg. "Pay the dues first
and then recover it by auctioning the money at the earliest," he said. The debate in the Council, taken
up as priority ahead of the question hour, kept getting derailed as the ruling party and Opposition
leaders kept sidetracking the issue to trade charges against each other. (The Hindu 29/6/15)
Farmer Suicide: Court hears plea against martyr label for farmer (20)
New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the Delhi government’s response to a petition
against its decision to officially describe Rajasthan farmer Gajendra Singh, who committed suicide at
an AAP rally at Jantar Mantar, as a “martyr” and to seek an end to “glorification” of his death. A
division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath sought response from the Delhi
government by September 2 on a public interest litigation filed by advocate Avadh Kaushik. Earlier,
the court asked the AAP government to submit a copy of the April 29 Cabinet decision to accord
“martyr” status to the Rajasthan farmer who committed suicide on April 22 by hanging himself from a
tree at Jantar Mantar during an anti-land bill rally of the Aam Aadmi Party. An RTI reply revealed that
the Delhi government had decided to construct a memorial to Singh and other farmers who committed
suicide and to provide jobs to their family members, said the petitioner. The AAP government’s
decision to accord Gajendra Singh the status of a “martyr” and name a compensation scheme after
him, according to the petitioner, amounted to “abetment of suicide.” He argued that glorifying such an
act of “cowardice” was not justified. After Gajendra Singh’s suicide, the Delhi government launched a
farmers compensation scheme in his name — Gajendra Singh Kisan Sahayata Yojana — for Delhi
farmers whose crops were destroyed by unseasonal rains. (Asian Age 2/7/15)
Mahrashtra farmer suicides: Yavatmal collector summoned (20)
Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has summoned the Yavatmal
collector over the spate of suicides reported among Kolam tribal farmers of this district in the past few
months, an activist said here on Saturday. The notice follows a complaint lodged by Vidarbha Jan
Andolan Samiti President Kishore Tiwari mentioning how the state government has flouted Bombay
High Court orders of 2001 to provide food, shelter, drinking water to the tribal regions. "SHRC
Chairman Justice S.R. Bannurmath has directed the collector to appear before it in Amravati next
Tuesday (July 7) and submit a report on my complaint," Tiwari told IANS. The complaint points out the
miserable conditions of the Kolam tribal farmers in the region, especially Ialkapod of Ralegaon subdistrict of Yavatmal. Tiwari alleged in his SHRC complaint that the administration informed the
Bombay High Court vide an affidavit that all Kolam tribals are covered under the Antyodaya Scheme
for food security. "The ground reality is totally different. Nearly 50 percent of the Kolam tribals are
denied foodgrain under the scheme, the grain supply remains irregular and the tribals don't get rations
for three months in a row while it is being diverted and siphoned off in the black markets," he said.
This and other issues, like denial of land rights, institutional credits and other welfare schemes which
are diverted to others, has resulted in hundreds of Kolam tribals committing suicides. "Over that, they
had to bear the brunt of Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse's utterances in May 2015 that
tribal farmers don't commit suicide as they are 'morally strong', but the government had no solution to
stop farmland suicides," Tiwari rued. Way back in 2001, the state government made assurances of
providing the Kolam tribals with houses, proper toilets and other facilities, but it is yet to materialise
due to the apathy of the local district authorities, Tiwari added. (Business Standard 4/7/15)
25 farmers committed suicide in Karnataka since June: CM (20)
Ballari: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said that twenty-five farmers have committed suicide in
Karnataka since last month. Eight of the farmers were debt-ridden sugarcane growers while others
committed suicide for different reasons, he told reporters here. Assuring the farmers that the
government was with them, the Chief Minister appealed to not take such extreme step in future.
Siddaramaiah also said the government would take action against private money lenders, who fleece
the farmers. A spate of farmers' suicides in recent weeks had brought the agrarian crisis, particularly
relating to sugarcane growers, to the fore. The payment of dues to sugarcane farmers by mill owners
had also rocked both the house of legislature, now in session at Belagavi. (Business Standard 5/7/15)
2 Debt-ridden Farmers End Lives (20)
HASSAN/RAICHUR: Two more farmers have ended their lives owing to debts in the state.
Puttaswamy Gowda (53) of Haruvanahalli village in Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan died at the
Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Bellur on Sunday night. He had recently
consumed poison unable to repay debts. Gowda had borrowed Rs 2 lakh by pledging his land and
was unable to repay it due to crop loss. Shravanabelagola police have registered a case. It may be
recalled that 10 farmers have committed suicide in the past 10 days from across the district. In
Raichur district, Basappa (40) from K Basapur village of Sindhanur taluk committed suicide owing to
the debts on Monday. He hanged himself after his paddy crop failed. He had taken loans up to Rs 4
lakh from banks and was depressed as he could not repay them. He killed himself when his family
members were not in the house. Sindhanur tahsildar Gangappa, DySP Shridhar Maliger and Circle
Inspector Ramesh Rotti visited the spot. Sindhanur rural police have registered a case. Only four days
ago, a farmer committed suicide at Durga Camp in Sindhanur taluk. (New Indian Express 7/7/15)
37 Days, 38 Farmer Deaths, Lenders Face Heat (20)
BELAGAVI: The government has decided to set up enforcement cells in all districts and bring
necessary amendments to the Karnataka Moneylenders Act, 1961, to keep a check on moneylenders.
This move comes in the backdrop of increasing farmer suicides due to harassment by moneylenders.
As of today, very few districts have enforcement cells and these will be strengthened. Announcing this
in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Cooperation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad said the
government has decided to bring an amendment with more stringent laws to curb exploitation of
farmers and the poor by moneylenders.Deputy commissioners and SPs in all the districts will be
directed to strengthen task force committees, he said. Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the
government is serious in bringing in regulations to check the exorbitant interest rates charged by
moneylenders. He said the government would also look into reasons behind the rising incidents of
farmer suicide. Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar pointed out that in one instance, seven farmers
had committed suicide in one day. He urged the government to think of alternatives to arrest farmer
suicides and suggested covering all the agriculture families under co-operative institutions. He
expressed fear that further delay may lead to a spike in farmer suicides. S Ramesh Kumar (Congress)
said the existing laws have enough provisions to act against moneylenders harassing street vendors,
petty shop owners and the innocent poor. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has
decided to visit the families of the farmers who committed suicide to distribute cash compensation.
While the quantum of compensation is yet to be finalised, KPCC plans to distribute Rs 50,000 to Rs 1
lakh to the distressed families, according to sources. The government, however, is bound to pay a
one-time cash compensation of Rs 1 lakh to families of farmers who commit suicide due to agrarian
reasons. According to party sources, the initiative to reach out to these families has come from AllIndia Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the party’s state unit has been
asked to act on it speedily. Following the diktat, KPCC has sought data on farmer suicides in the
state. It has already collected statistics from the Agriculture Department. Party sources said as per the
records of the department, 31 farmers had ended their lives between April 1 and June 1 this year,
unable to bear the burden of debt and other farming-related issues. Farmer suicides have been
reported from Belagavi, Mandya, Chamarajnagar, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Hassan, Tumakuru,
Raichur and Chikkamagaluru districts. (New Indian Express 9/7/15)
Farm crisis: trade unions to stage protests across the country (20)
RAICHUR: Trade union activists will stage demonstrations across the country on July 30 to express
their solidarity with farmers in distress. Prasanna Kumar, State secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade
Unions (CITU), said that the Union and State governments were responsible for the crisis and
farmers’ suicides. “The National Commission on Farmers headed by M.S. Swaminathan had
recommended that the minimum support price for an agricultural produce should be at least 50
percent more than the weighted average cost of production. No government has, however, taken
interest to implement it,” he said. Mr. Prasanna Kumar alleged that successive governments
continued to misuse the Sugarcane (Control) Order,1966, to impress sugar producers at the cost of
sugarcane growers. “Sugar mill owners are well organised under the Indian Sugar Mills Association
and they pressure policy makers whereas the growers remain largely unorganised. The governments
bend to the powerful and mete out injustice to the weaker,” he said. According to Mr. Kumar, over 39
percent of the country’s cultivable land will fall under easily acquirable category if the proposed
amendments to the Land Acquisition Act are passed in Parliament. (The Hindu 12/7/15)
Farmers who sought permission to kill self get their dues (20)
Nagpur (Maharashtra): The dues of seven farmers who sought permission to commit suicide have
been cleared, an official said on Wednesday. "We have disbursed the amounts and deposited them
directly in their bank accounts," Wardha collector Ashutosh Sahil told IANS. He said that the problems
arose mainly because the district administration did not have the correct bank details of the seven
farmers, but the entire issue has now been amicably resolved. "We welcome the collector's prompt
steps in the matter which has helped save the lives of these seven distressed farmers. We hope they
take up other pending cases with similar seriousness before more lives are lost," said Vidarbha Jan
Andolan Samiti President Kishore Tiwari. The seven farmers, including three women, of Wadad
village wrote to the authorities seeking 'permission' to commit suicide as they were not given the aid
money since January. The bemused district officials not only accepted the letter, but gave
acknowledgement which was submitted to the collector office, with copies to high-ranking officials in
Mumbai. The farmers are: Kishore Ingale, Bhanudas Wadadkar, Pankaj Gawandi, Shankar Khadse,
and the women - Kundabai Lonkar, Kamala Warhade and Vasanta Gingavkar. Collector Sahil said
that as per norms, these farmers have been disbursed an average of Rs.9,000-Rs.13,000 depending
on the crop losses they suffered in the hailstorms last year. Tiwari, however, pointed out that around
Rs.300 crore amount is lying undisbursed within the Amravati division which should be cleared
immediately to prevent more farmers from ending their lives. In July so far, the number of farmland
suicides in the states stands at 27 and activists fear the situation may worsen if the existing dry spell
continues in the state. (Deccan Herald 15/7/15)
Six more debt-burdened farmers commit suicide (20)
Bengaluru: Six debt-burdened farmers, including a woman, committed suicide in the State in the past
24 hours. A 48-year-old farmer from Timkapur in Piriyapatna taluk of Mysuru district ended his life by
consuming pesticide at his farm on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as T K Shivanna. His
relative Kantaraju, in a complaint lodged in Piriyapatna police station, said Shivanna had taken a loan
of Rs 5 lakh from the Abburu branch of SBI Bank. Unable to repay debts, Shivanna took the drastic
step. He is survived by his wife Shailaja and a minor son. A chilli farmer from Annigeri in Navalgund
taluk of Dharwad district committed suicide by hanging himself on Thursday. Heavy debts and crop
failure drove Dawalsab Mohammadsab Nalavadi (52) to suicide.A woman farmer from Akkigund
tanda near Lakshmeshwar in Gadag district ended her life by hanging herself from the ceiling of her
house in the early hours of Thursday. The deceased Veeravva Dhansingappa Lamani (55) had
availed crop loans from a nationalised bank in Lakshmeshwar. There was no one to cultivate the twoacre dry land which is in the name of Veeravva as her husband was bedridden, while her three sons
are working as daily wage labourers in Goa.A debt-stressed farmer from Kalli in Sirsi taluk of Uttara
Kannada district ended his life by jumping into a well near his house. It is learnt that the victim Dyavya
Era Naik (65) had taken farm loans on his two-acre farm from taluk co-operative agricultural and rural
development bank. The bank had served recovery notice to the farmer recently. Banavasi police have
registered a case of unnatural death. Unable to repay the debts, Gurunath (49), a farmer
Naraganahalli in Mayakonda hobli of Davangere district, committed suicide by hanging himself from
the ceiling of his house.Mayakonda police have registered a case. A 55-year-old farmer from
Kamanahalli in Hanagal taluk of Haveri district attempted suicide by stabbing himself with a sharp
weapon. Halappa Yellappa Hulagannavar, who was rushed to KIMS in Hubballi, is said to be in critical
condition.On Thursday, the farmer, who is reeling under heavy debts, took the drastic step after a
fertiliser shop owner refused to give him the pesticide on credit. (Deccan Herald 16/7/15)
Karnataka Governor Vala Seeks District-wise Report on Farmer Suicides (20)
BENGALURU: Governor Vajubhai Vala has sought a detailed report on the sudden spurt in farmer
suicides in the state. In a letter to Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee on Thursday, Vala has
expressed deep concern over the increasing number of farmer suicides. “He (Governor) has sought a
district-wise report on the reasons for the suicides and the steps taken by the government to address
the issue. The report has to be filed in one week. The government is already on the job and will
submit the report by next week,” a source in the chief minister’s office said. In the last one month,
more than 70 farmers have committed suicide in the state and most cases were reported in Mandya
and Mysuru districts. Sources said the governor has also written a letter seeking a status report on
the number of officials against whom the Lokayukta had sought sanction for prosecution and also the
number of officials against whom the permission was given. In his letter on Wednesday, Vala is said
to have asked the government to give reasons for not giving permission for the prosecution of some
officers, despite repeated reminders from the Lokayukta. Asked about the governor’s letter on the
Lokayukta issue, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said he was not aware of
receiving any such letter. As many as 105 cases are pending before the government seeking sanction
for prosecution. Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, in his annual report submitted to the governor
recently, had raised the issue while seeking Vala’s intervention. The High Court had sought case-wise
explanation from the state on the delay in according sanction for prosecution. (New Indian Express
17/7/15)
This Region in Western Ghats Has Seen No Farmer Deaths in Last 3 Years (20)
BENGALURU: While the number of farmer suicides in the state is rising with every passing day, there
is one region in the state that has not witnessed even one such case. Mundaje and a few surrounding
villages in the Western Ghats, having a population of around 30,000, haven’t seen any farmer suicide
due to non-repayment of loans in the last three years. N S Gokhale, president of the Mundaje Primary
Agricultural Credit Society was in the city on Tuesday to meet officials and ministers and apprise them
of the steps they have taken to have zero farmer deaths. He believes that the main reason why
farmers in the state are committing suicide is because of loan defaults, which they are unable to pay
on time due to several causes. In this regard, the bank has extended a loan repayment scheme to
farmers in the region. Under the scheme, a farmer who has availed a loan can register with the
cooperative bank. Once he does so, he will have to repay 30 per cent of the loan to the cooperative.
The society will then add another 30 per cent to the amount while the remaining is paid back by the
farmer. For instance, if a farmer has a loan of Rs 1,000, he has to pay Rs 300 to the society. The
society will then add another Rs 300. The remaining Rs 400 can be paid back by the farmer from the
profit he secures after he sells his produce. Gokhale said there are around 4,000 farmers in the
Mundaje area who have registered with the society, which has, in turn, benefited them greatly. “The
main reason for the spate of farmer suicides in the state is their inability to repay loans. If the
government, for instance, releases Rs 1,000 crore towards agriculture, the next year, they release Rs
1,200 crore, thinking that they are helping towards ensuring that farmers do not have any problems.
However, the fact is that farmers are still neck-deep in debt,” he said. “Currently, a farmer has to pay
only 30 per cent, though many of them say that they can pay more. However, this will also increase
our load. For the past three years, we have been paying the remaining 30 per cent on our own,
whereas ideally, it should have been shared equally between us, the state and the Central
government. The government is spending crores on the waiver of interest on loans. Instead, if they
initiate the scheme that we have been running, they will save a lot in the long run,” Gokhale said.
However, repeated meetings with government about implementing the scheme have been futile. “All
we are saying is that let them (government) implement it on a pilot basis in any district. Based on the
outcome, after a period of twelve years, (which we have set as the benchmark), let them take a final
call. The last we heard was that our file had been closed as they believe that the costs will be too
much,” society vice-president V T Sebastian said. Cooperatives Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad said
a proposal in this regard had been submitted a few months ago. “We will still have to go through it in
detail. Mostly, we are concerned with giving subsidies on interest, and this scheme is quite new. I
have been busy with the session. Once it is over, I will have time to go through the proposal,” he said.
(Indian Express 22/7/15)
Four more farmers commit suicide in State (20)
Tumakuru/Mandya/Ballari: A 45-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide in Thayappanahatti in
Sira taluk of Tumakuru district on Thursday. Siddeshwarappa had taken a Rs.1.5-lakh loan, from a
bank and from a private moneylender. His wife had taken part of the loan from self-help groups, the
police said. His borewell did not produce water and he was depressed leading to him ending his life.
In Mandya, debt-ridden sugarcane farmer H.B. Kempegowda (38), committed suicide by hanging from
a tree at Bidarahosahalli in Maddur taluk early on Thursday. The farmer had borrowed Rs. 68,000
from a bank for a wedding and for cultivation, the police said. In Hubballi, two more farmers in despair
over their mounting financial debts allegedly committed suicide in Haveri district. The deceased were
identified as Manjunath Bhimakkanavar (38) of Kerimattihalli in Haveri taluk, and Dilleppa Kenchaller
(56) of Medleri village in Ranebennur taluk. Manjunath Bhimakkanavar had taken a loan of Rs. 1.5
lakh, but his crops failed. Manjunath had been farming on 1.5 acres of land owned by his father.
Delleppa of Medleri village, who owned 2.3 acres of land, had taken a hand loan of Rs. 4 lakh, and
was reportedly upset over the crop failure, sources said. (The Hindu 24/7/15)
Deve Gowda to fast in Delhi over farmers' plight (20)
Bengaluru: Former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda will sit on an indefinite fast from Monday in Delhi
to protest the government's apathy towards the plight of farmers, many of whom have committed
suicide due to severe indebtedness. "Gowda will sit on an indefinite fast from Monday at Jantar
Mantar in the national capital to draw the government's attention on the farmers' plight, as he has not
been given an opportunity to speak on them in parliament so far," Janata Dal-Secular spokesperson
Ramesh Babu told IANS on Sunday. The octogenarian JD-S supremo is a fifth-time lawmaker in the
Lok Sabha from Hassan parliamentary segment, about 180 km from here. "Though Gowda wrote to
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan seeking time to raise the farmers' issue, there was no response
till Friday while many distressed farmers were resorting to suicide," Babu said. About 100 farmers
have so far committed suicide since June across Karnataka over various reasons, including debt,
lower prices and non-payment of arrear by sugar mills. "Gowda will continue with his fast till the
government and the speaker respond to his demand, as the central and state governments are
indifferent to the farmers' welfare due to misplaced priorities and undue importance to other sectors,"
Babu said. Expressing anguish over the rising number of farmers' suicides in Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the JD-S president blamed the central and state
governments for failing to address their concerns. "Even for the Congress, farmers don't count much
for its leaders and lawmakers as evident from its priority to disrupt parliament than compelling the
government to bail them out from agrarian crisis," Babu quoted Gowda as saying. (Business Standard
26/7/15)
7 Farmers End Their Lives Across Karnataka Over Mounting Debts (20)
BENGALURU: Farmers continued to take their lives over crop loss or mounting debts with seven
incidents of suicides coming to light in the state on Monday. Three farmers committed suicide on
Monday, taking the toll so far to eight in the district. The deceased are Jagadish Naik (38) of
Bandilakkanahalli in Belur taluk, Keshavamurthy (38) of Doddabemmatti in Arkalgud taluk and
Shivanni (60) of Dodderi village in Channarayapatna taluk. Naik killed himself by hanging after he
failed to clear loans of Rs 3.55 lakh. Keshavamurthy ended his life by consuming poison after his
ginger and tobacco crops grown were destroyed due to a disease. Shivanni committed suicide by
consuming poison after failing to repay Rs 2.3 lakh. A farmer committed suicide by hanging at his
house in Maidur village of Hirekerur taluk on Monday. The deceased Girish Ballear (33) had taken
loans of Rs 4 lakh. This is the 16th farmer suicide in Haveri since June. A farmer from Karikere village
ended his life by consuming poison on Monday. Srinivasa Reddy (60) had grown onion. He is said to
have suffered heavy losses due to the lack of rain.A farmer committed suicide by hanging at SI
Agalahalli in Maddur taluk on Monday. Sanna Boregowda (45), was depressed after he lost his
sugarcane crop due to lack of water. He had taken loans of Rs 3 lakh from a cooperative society and
lenders. (New Indian Express 28/7/15)
Centre implementing capitalist agenda, says farm activist (20)
KHAMMAM: All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) joint secretary Vijoo Krishnan slammed the BJP-led NDA
government at the Centre for allegedly failing to address the agrarian crisis and prevent farmers’
suicides across the country, including the BJP-ruled States. The gravity of the issue can be gauged
from the fact that around 60 farmers committed suicide in Haryana, known as green revolution State,
in April this year. The BJP is implementing anti-farmer policies at the behest of capitalist forces, he
charged. A two-day dharna christened “Aakroash” will be held in New Delhi on August 10 and 11 to
bring the issue of farmers’ suicides and agrarian distress on to the national agenda, he said. Mr
Krishnan was speaking at a seminar on “Agriculture sector – BJP-led NDA government’s policies”
organised by the Telangana Rythu Sangham here on Tuesday. (The Hindu 29/7/15)
‘Adopt integrated farming system to avoid crop loss’ (20)
Mysuru: Expressing concern over farmers’ suicides even in the irrigated regions like Mandya district,
A.B. Patil, Director of Extension, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, has said that
integrated farming is the only solution to avoid crop loss. He advised farmers to use special nutrients
for banana crop and proper chemicals for ripening the fruit. Mr. Patil also mooted the idea of creating
a farmers’ portal on banana so that growers can interact among themselves and know the present
marketing trends besides benefitting from one another’s best farming practises. (The Hindu 2/8/15)
Six farmers commit suicide in Karnataka (20)
Bengaliri: Six farmers ended their lives in the State on Sunday. Two of them are from Mandya district.
Thirty-year-old Umesh committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Karalakatte village of
Malavalli taluk in Mandya district. Umesh and his brother jointly owned four acres of land. He had
taken up silk farming and planted banana on the said land, both of which did not fetch him
remunerative price. He is said to be having loans to the tune of Rs four lakh. Devaraj alias Devu (24)
hung himself to death from a tree at his land in Chikkabyadarahalli village of Pandavapura taluk in
Mandya district. He had borrowed Rs 30,000 from a bank and more than Rs three lakh from private
persons. According to the complaint lodged by his father, Devaraj ended life fearing inability to repay
loans. Srinivas (42), a farmer from Chikkahonnavalli village in Tiptur taluk of Tumakuru district hung
himself to death on Sunday. He owned three acres of land and had borrowed farm loans from banks
in the name of his mother. He is also said to have taken loans from private persons. According to the
complaint lodged by his wife, Srinivas ended his life owing to debt burden and crop loss. A 35-yearold woman farmer, who had consumed poison on Saturday, breathed last on her way to hospital on
Sunday in Gujanur village of Yadgir taluk. Tayamma Gunjalappa, a resident of Babala village in
Shahpur taluk, had obtained a lease of 24 acres of farmland in Gunjanur two years ago. She had
taken loans of Rs five lakh for agricultural activities. According to her family members, the crops
failed due to paucity of rains because of which Tayamma was dejected and ended her life.
Eshwarappa Doddappa Ammapura (57) of Mudanur K village in Surpur taluk of Yadgir district
committed suicide by consuming poison. He owned 3.5 acres of land and had suffered losses by
growing paddy for the last two years. He is said to have borrowed a total of Rs three lakh. A debtridden farmer ended his by life by consuming poison at Nidoni village in Vijayapura taluk. The
deceased has been identified as Nagappa Agasara (40). Nagappa had grown sugar cane and grapes
on his three acre land and is said to have loans to the tune of about Rs four lakh. As many as 32
farmers have committed suicide in the six districts of North Karnataka during the period April-July
2015. Prof Sangeetha Kattimani, an economist from Kalaburagi, says that, going by the media
reports, a majority of these farmers had borrowed loans from private money lenders. Most of these
are small and marginal farmers and are in the 22-45 age group (Deccan Herald 3/8/15)
Over 5,600 farmers committed suicide in 2014 (20)
New Delhi: Over 5,600 farmers committed suicide last year, Minister of State for Home Affairs
Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said on Wednesday. Replying to a question by Communist Party of
India-Marxist member C.P. Narayanan in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said a total of 1,31,666
people committed suicide in 2014. "These included 5,650 farmers, 20,148 housewives, 8,068
students, 2,308 debt-ridden people and 7,104 mentally ill," he said. He said major mental health
problems like depression, schizophrenia, addiction to alcohol, affective disorders, drug dependence,
adjustment disorders, mood and personality problems were identified as reasons among those who
committed or attempted suicide. (Business Standard 5/8/15)
Meeting focuses on reasons for farmers’ suicides (20)
SANGAREDDY: Increasing input costs, farmers’ dependence on farming without going for dairy and
backyard poultry, no insurance, lack of rainfall, inability to decide the cost of their produce from farms,
psychological stress, distress due to crop loss and financial collapse were stated as some of the main
reasons for suicides by farmers. Justice M. Kanakadurga, secretary, District Legal Services Authority
(DLSA), held “All stakeholders meet on prevention of farmers’ suicides” on Wednesday. The meeting
was attended by officials from revenue, agriculture, animal husbandry, lead bank, NABARD, DRDA,
District panchayat office, horticulture departments, farmers, farmers’ organisations and NGOs. It
elaborately discussed the problems being faced by farmers and the steps need to be taken to arrest
the tendency. It was decided to hold some more meetings to discuss and decide on future course of
action. Addressing the meeting, Justice Kanakadurga said, “A complaint on a small white paper is
enough to move the concerned departments and see that the required help will reach you.” She was
responding to the request presented by Salavva and Renuka, wives of two farmers from Elakapally,
who informed that they did not get any compensation from the government. V.S. Prasad Sastry,
president, Tenant Farmers’ Association, has alleged that GO 421 is not being implemented in letter
and spirit and all the other benefits are not being extended to the families of farmers who committed
suicide. Jayaraj, General Secretary, Rytu Sangham, suggested farming of Joint Liability Groups (JLB)
to extend loans to tenant farmers as they were unable to get loans from banks. Dr. Phani Kumar,
psychologist, said: “Identify farmers who are behaving abnormally and counsel them. Farmers’
suicides are becoming epidemic not only in Telangana but across the nation.” (The Hindu 6/8/15)
Mathura farmers want to commit suicide on I-Day (20)
Mathura: Farmers here, protesting against alleged official callousness, have urged President Pranab
Mukherjee to permit them to commit mass suicide on Independence Day. The appeal has unnerved
district officials who fear possible self-immolation by some farmers of Mahavan area whose land has
been consumed by the Yamuna river in the Gokul Barrage catchment area. The farmers have been
on a relay fast for the past two weeks to highlight their grievances. Kisan Sangh, a farmer leader,
accused the district authorities of ignoring the interests of the affected farmers. The farmers want
compensation for the land lost at four times the circle rate and immediate withdrawal of cases against
farmers, many of whom are still in jail following protests in December on the Delhi-Agra highway. Said
another farmer, Roop Singh: "We have lost all and want to end our lives. We want the president's
permission." Officials have identified around 30 farmers who need to be compensated. The Allahabad
High Court is seized of the matter, and a decision is likely in a few days, an official said. The farmers
are demanding compensation for damage to standing crops which were submerged as a result of
rising level of water in the barrage. "For more than 16 years now, we have not been compensated for
the land acquired from us for the barrage," another farmer said. (Business Standard 11/8/15)
Farmers’ suicides: association lodges complaint with national rights panel (20)
MYSURU: The issue of the unrelenting wave of farmers’ suicides in Karnataka has now reached the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi. Accusing the State government and the
Centre of doing nothing to stop farmers from resorting to the extreme step, the State Sugarcane
Growers’ Association lodged a complaint with the commission seeking its intervention. Farmers’
leaders Raghunath R. Patil from Maharashtra, R.V. Giri from Tamil Nadu, and Satnam Singh from
Punjab are the other signatories to the complaint. Claiming that 250 farmers had committed suicide in
50 days in the State, association president Kurubur Shanthakumar alleged that farmers’ suicides had
not been taken seriously by the governments. Mr. Shanthakumar urged the commission to direct the
State and Union governments to take immediate measures for the wellbeing of farmers. “Even
Maharashtra and Punjab had reported farmers’ suicides. It has become a national issue,” he told The
Hindu . “There has been gross neglect despite unremitting suicides in the last four months in
Karnataka,” he said. In the complaint, it is alleged that the State had failed to prevail upon the sugar
factories to pay dues to farmers. “In the absence of scientific pricing for farmers’ produce, farmers
have resorted to this alarming path, Mr. Shanthakumar said in a press release. (The Hindu 14/8/15)
Sugarcane growers observe ‘Black Day’ (20)
KALABURAGI: The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association on Saturday observed
Independence Day as ‘Black Day’ protesting against the indifferent attitude of the State governments
towards the farmers and the failure of the government to ensure that sugar factories cleared dues.
Members of the association and sugarcane growers across the district took out a silent procession
covering their mouths with a black cloth from Jagat Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and
submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister. District president of the association
Jagadish Patil Rajapur criticised Sugar Minister H.S. Mahadev Prasad for slighting the issue of
farmers’ suicides and demanded that the Chief Minister drop him. Referring to dues from sugar
factories, he said that the State government should direct them to clear the dues. Demanding that the
Union government announce a Vidharbha-model package to tackle the farm crisis in the State, Mr.
Rajapur said that the Centre should release a package of Rs. 10, 000 crore to the State. The
government should provide a package of Rs. 10 lakh as working capital to the families of the farmers
who had committed suicide. He also wanted the State Administered Price for sugarcane for 2015-16
and the crushing schedule of different factories to be announced in advance. (The Hindu 16/8/15)
Five farmers with debts commit suicide (20)
KALABURAGI/Sirsi/Chitradurga/Hubballi: The unending saga of farmers committing suicide continued
in the State with five fresh cases being reported. In Kalaburagi, two more debt-ridden farmers ended
their life by consuming pesticide, taking the number of such suicides in the district to 15. While
Shamrao Chavan (30) of Polakpalli Tanda in Chincholi taluk in the district, who consumed pesticide in
his house on Sunday, died at the Government General Hospital on Sunday night after failing to
respond to treatment, another farmer Sharanappa Bommanna Jogi (38) of Ballundigi village in
Jewargi taluk in the district, who consumed pesticide on Saturday, died at a private hospital in Bijapur
district on Monday. The reason for the suicide of both the farmers is attributed to mounting debts and
failure of crop. Shamrao Chavan, who owned eight acres of land, had availed himself of a loan of Rs.
1 lakh from a nationalised bank. However, it was said, he was unable to repay the loan due to the
failure of crops. Sharanappa Bommanna Jogi had taken loans, in all, Rs. 4 lakh, from private
moneylenders to raise crops in his six acres of rain-fed land. He had also the burden of repaying
another loan of Rs. 95,000 taken from a nationalised bank by his father who died two years ago. In
Chitradurga. Unable to pay his debt, a farmer from Shivapur village in Holalkere taluk hanged himself
to death at his farm on Monday morning. The police gave his name as Somshekhar (34), a resident of
Shivapur village. According to police sources, the farmer had four acres of land and had borrowed Rs.
4 lakh loan, in all, from nationalised banks and Rs. 1 lakh from private moneylenders. In Uttara
Kannada. Seetaram Belagu Ager (40), a farmer of Karlagadde near Hillur in Honnavar taluk of Uttara
Kannada district, committed suicide on Saturday by consuming poison at his home, according to a
report reaching here on Monday. He had taken a loan of Rs. 80,000 from a local bank. He was
worried about repayment of loan as he had received recovery notice from the bank. He is survived by
his wife, a son and a daughter. Tahsildar Lanjekar and Circle Inspector of Police Arun Kumar visited
the house. Honnavar police have registered case. In Hubballi, A farmer, Linganagouda Fakiragoudar
(58) of Ballur village in Navalgund taluk, committed suicide allegedly due to financial distress on
Sunday night. A small land holder, he had reportedly borrowed around Rs. 3 three lakh from private
moneylenders and Rs. 60,000 from the local credit cooperative society. Navalgund MLA N.H.
Konaraddi gave away Rs. 25,000 to the farmer’s family. (The Hindu 18/8/15)
Compensation alone will not end farmers’ suicides in the country: BSP (20)
Hassan: Members of the district unit of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) staged a protest here on
Tuesday, urging the State government to waive farm loans to end farmers’ suicides. Members of the
party, who staged a dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, said that mere payment
of compensation to families of farmers would not put an end to the continuing suicides. The root
cause for farmers’ plight was the impact of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation. The changing
economic scenario was ruining the agricultural economy and forcing the farmers to take the extreme
step, the protesters said. B.C. Rajesh, president of the district unit of the party, said the State
government had decided to celebrate the birth centenary of the former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs this
year. “Celebrations will not carry any meaning if the government fails to respond to the problems of
the downtrodden sections of society,” he said. Party’s State committee member Kumar Gowrav,
leader A.P. Ahmed and others took part in the protest. (The Hindu 19/8/15)
Farmer suicides must end: Supreme Court (20)
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday picked holes in the government’s submission that there
was a considerable dip in farmers’ suicides in the country. The Social Justice Bench headed by
Justice Madan B. Lokur countered the claim by asking why there were suicide by farmers at all. The
apex court also sought the government’s response on revisiting its eight-year-old policy on farmers.
“Decrease in number [of suicides] is not enough, there should be no case of farmer suicide in the
country,” Justice Lokur observed, asking the government to respond on the issue on re-visiting its
eight-year-old policy on farmers. The court indicated that suicides may be linked to certain inherent
deficiencies in the National Policy for Farmers 2007. It also questioned about the conduct of annual
meetings of a committee headed by renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan.The Bench,
which was hearing a Public Interest Litigation petition asking the government to take steps to prevent
farmer suicides, asked the Centre to file an affidavit within six weeks, making clear its stand on
revisiting the policy. (The Hindu 22/8/15)
Farmers decry lip sympathy by government (20)
BELAGAVI: Various Kannada organisations took the State government and district administration to
task for shedding crocodile tears under the pretext of instilling confidence among farmers instead of
providing the much-needed relief to rescue them from debt traps and suicide. Despite confidenceinstilling programmes, there was no let-up in farmers’ suicides, which was a clear indication that mere
lip sympathy was not a solution to their burning problems, said farmers’ leaders at a meeting
organised by the taluk administration in the city on Monday. The farmers’ leaders reiterated their
demand for waiver of all crop loans in view of the prevailing drought conditions. They also pointed out
that though the Chief Minister had promised to clear sugarcane dues from the mills by July 31, it was
not fully implemented. Bharatiya Krishik Samaj district president Sidgouda Modgi said the government
should immediately launch relief measures in drought affected areas of the district and announce a
compensation of Rs. 25,000 per acre for crop loss. Chandragouda Patil, a farmer, gave a clarion call
to the growers to unite and fix scientific prices for their produce like a manufacturer, because “the
government would never ensure scientific prices to farmers”. The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha
staged a protest in front of Hubballi Electricity Supply Company office and demanded fixed schedule
of power supply to irrigation pumpsets. (The Hindu 25/8/15)
Mah govt distributes 4500 tonnes of grain to farmers (20)
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has distributed 4500 metric tonnes of grains to farmers in 14
suicide prone districts in the state under the Food Security Act, officials said. The grains have been
distributed to eligible farmers in 140 talukas. The grains have been provided at the rate of Rs 3 per kg
of rice and Rs 2 per kg of wheat. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had made an announcement on
the inclusion of farmers in the suicide belt of the state under the scheme in the state assembly. The
distribution of grains began on Independence Day. (Times of India 26/8/15)
1 lakh farmers quit agriculture in 5 years in Maharashtra (20)
KOLHAPUR: As many as one lakh families of farmers in the state opted out of agriculture, their sole
profession, in the last five years, according to the latest agriculture Census figures. Experts expressed
fears that the trend might continue with the availability of other income sources and tolerance level of
the farmers reaching its peak. The final figures of agricultural land holdings for 2015-16 will be
released later. According to the agriculture Census of 2010-11, there were 136 lakh agricultural land
holdings in the state. State agriculture and revenue minister Eknath Khadse said the figure has now
shrunk to 135 lakh. The minister said land acquisition for industrialization, road widening and creation
of new roads have eaten up the agricultural land. As per the agriculture Census of 2005-06, there
were 137 lakh farmers' families in Maharashtra. It means that the number of farmers quitting
agricultural activities between 2005-6 and 2010-11 reduced by one lakh. Similarly, another one lakh
farmers opted out of the profession from 2011-12 till today. Speaking to TOI, Khadse said, "There are
135 lakh land holding families in the state at present. As may 90 lakh of them are marginal farmers,
who own less than one hectare land. The fact is alarming as agricultural land is getting divided further
into small pieces, which directly affects production. Remaining 45 lakh people are small, medium and
large farmers, who actually have the capacity of producing foodgrains at large scale, which can be
traded. The marginal farmers are mostly into vegetable or small scale foodgrain production, which has
little role in the trade." Over the last five-six decades, the state has witnessed a successive trend of
increase in the number of farmers in terms of land division and population growth. However, the
number of farmers in the state started shrinking from 2010-11. The number was 1.37 crore in the
state in 2010-11, but went down to 1.36 crore by 2013-14. During the same period, the area of
operational holding and average size of operational holding also went down. In 2010-11, altogether
2,00,05,000 hectares of land was under cultivation in the state, which has now declined to
1,97,67,000 hectares. The average size of operational land holding also dipped from 1.46 hectares to
1.44 hectares. Sangeeta Shroff, associate professor at Pune-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and
Economics, said the situation is far more serious. "Of the total labour force in the state, 52.7% are in
the agriculture sector. Further division shows that 25.4% are cultivators (land owners), while 27.3%
are agricultural labourers. It means that there are more labourers in the state than land owners. If
labour force figures from Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad are
removed, the employment number through agriculture sector stands at 81.36%. It means there are
hardly any means of employment in the rural areas barring agriculture," she said. She said
encouraging agro-processing industries in the rural areas and infrastructure development should be
undertaken on priority to control the overall downfall in the sector. "The biggest factor behind farmers
being discouraged to leave agriculture is poor irrigation facilities. The irrigation cover in the state is not
more than 18%, of which a huge area is used for sugarcane cultivation. A cash crop like cotton is
largely rainfed putting pressure on the farmers for making irrigation arrangements. Besides, foodgrain
cultivation is also largely dependent on monsoon, which is adding to farmers' frustration. Unless these
issues are tackled, the sector will continue to remain in poor light," Shroff added. (Times of India
29/8/15)
Vedike to stage dharna seeking compensation (20)
KALABURAGI: The Shrama Jeevigala Karmika Vedike has condemned the State government’s
alleged failure to release compensation for the families of farmers who have committed suicide.
Chandraekhar Hiremath, president of the vedike, told presspersons on Sunday that the government
was yet to pay the compensation to the families of two of the three farmers who committed suicide in
Aland taluk in Kalaburagi district. While a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh had been paid to the family of
Shankar Maindaragi of Sarasamba village, the family members of Dhulappa Gundappa and
Hanumanth Sajjan were yet to be paid the money. Mr. Hiremath said that the State government
should not wash of its responsibility by paying the compensation and should also provide government
jobs to any one of their family members on compassionate grounds. Raising these demands, Vedike
activists would stage a dharna in Aland town in Kalaburagi district on September 4 along with the
family members of the farmers who had committed suicide, he added. (The Hindu 31/8/15)
One Farmer A Day, Telangana Dubious Record of Suicides (20)
HYDERABAD:At least one farmer is committing suicide every day in Bangaru Telangana. This has
been officially admitted on Wednesday by agriculture minister P Srinivas Reddy. Between June 2,
2014 and June 25, 2015, 409 farmers ended their lives in the state. On Wednesday itself, four
farmers committed suicide, one of them in Chief Minister’s pocket borough Gajwel. These suicides
were reported from Khammam (2) and one each in Karimnagar and Medak. This number is well
below the 900 suicides number being touted by Opposition parties. A majority of the farmers who
have ended their lives blame either crop failure, power crisis or absence of an agricultural policy. Of
the 409 suicides, the government has extended compensation to only 141 people as per GO 421. “Ex
gratia will be extended to other farmers’ families also,’’ he said. Farmer Nalla Kistaiah, who ended his
life by hanging himself to a tree in Gajwel, had two-acre land and cultivated cotton in one acre, which
failed due to the dry spell. This is the second consecutive year that his crop failed and he was
burdened with loans. Kistaiah had borrowed Rs 3 lakh and invested on cultivation and also for his
daughter’s marriage. “He was distressed since one week as there was no way to he could repay the
debt,’’ family members of Kistaiah said. Kishtaiah is survived by wife and four children. Ambati
Narayana (44) of Chinnabonala village in Sircilla mandal ended his life by consuming pesticide in his
fields. According to reports, Narayana cultivated cotton in his two-acre land and also took another five
acres on lease for cultivation by borrowing Rs 2 lakh from private money lenders. The crop withered
due to the dry spell and the four borewells dug up by him could not come to his rescue. Narayana is
survived by wife and a daughter. At Porandla village in Thimmapur mandal, Musku Nagi Reddy (47)
committed suicide due to mounting debts. He consumed pesticide at his residence. He borrowed Rs 3
lakh and invested on cultivating paddy, maize and vegetables in his three-and-half acre land. Due to
lack of irrigation facility, the crops withered. On the other hand, he had financial difficulties as he
performed his daughter’s marriage last year. In Khammam, a tribal farmer consumed pesticide in
Krishnapuram village of Madhira mandal. Police said Tejavath Mangya (36) cultivated chilly in one
acre and cotton in two-cre land. Due to deficit rainfall, the crops have not registered good growth. He
suffered a loss of nearly Rs 2 lakhs last year also. On Wednesday, he went to his fields and got
depressed over the withering crops and after returning from fields, he consumed pesticide at his
home Mangya’s wife Jyothi shifted him to Madhira government hospital but he died on the way to
hospital. (New Indian Express 3/9/15)
Chief Minister hands over cheques to families of dead farmers (20)
RAICHUR: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday met the families of two farmers, who committed
suicide last month, at Lakkamdinni village in Manvi taluk and handed over compensation cheques
worth Rs. 2.25 lakh each to them. He consoled the grieving family members and assured them of free
education to the children of the dead farmers in Navodaya schools. Mareppa (35), a resident of
Lakkamdinni village, committed suicide on July 14 by consuming pesticides at his house. He had a
loan of around Rs. 3 lakh. He owned one-and-a-half acres of land and cultivating another 20 acres
that he had taken on lease. As cotton seeds died in the soil due to heat stress, his hopes of repaying
loans were shattered. A day before, Venkataratnam (48), a resident of Buddinni village in Manvi taluk,
committed suicide. He owned three acres of land and had a loan of Rs. 2 lakh. He committed suicide
due to crop loss caused by drought. Speaking to presspersons at the village, Mr. Siddaramaiah said
that farm loan waiver by the State government would help only 20 per cent of the farmers. “Most of
the farmers would benefit only when the Union Government intervenes and waives farm loans taken
from nationalised banks. The Union government should intervene immediately so that we too can join
hands,” he said. When asked, the Chief Minister clarified that the Cabinet would be expanded soon
after the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Bengaluru. Public Works Department Minister H.C.
Mahadevappa, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee president G. Parameshwar were present. (The Hindu 4/9/15)
Govt. urged to pay Rs. 5 lakh ex gratia (20)
NIZAMABAD: CPI (M) former MLA Julakanti Ranga Reddy has urged the Government to pay Rs.5
lakh ex gratia to each bereaved family of farmers, who committed suicide unable to bear the burden
of debt. At a joint press meet on the sidelines of the valedictory of the party’s three-day State
conference here on Sunday, he said that even though the farming community had been in dire straits
and dozens of farmers were ending their life every day, the Government had kept silent. Neither
elected representatives nor bureaucrats are trying to instil a sense of security among farmers, he
said. Though the State has been reeling under severe drought conditions, no alternative measures
have been initiated; and farmers, coolies and other oppressed sections are left in the lurch, he said.
The former MLA also said that the Government had failed to control seasonal fever, resulting in public
health taking a hit. The Rythu Sangham all-India vice-president, S. Malla Reddy, appealed to the
leaders not to redesign the ongoing irrigation projects as they were in various stages of completion.
An amount of Rs.10,000 crore was spent on the Pranahitha-Chevella and other ongoing projects and
if their designs are changed at this stage, water for irrigation cannot be given even after another ten
years, he said. Instead of amending the designs and postponing their completion, it would be better to
make efforts to complete the projects as early as possible, he said. Rythu Sangham State president
D. Chandra Reddy, secretary N. Nageswar Rao and CPI (M) district secretary Dandi Venkat were
also present. (The Hindu 7/9/15)
Strife due to agrarian crisis worsens (20)
NEW DELHI: Incidents of unrest caused by the agrarian crisis doubled to 74 till June this year from 37
in the corresponding period of 2014, a rise attributed to factors such as demand for higher minimum
support price, land acquisition law and inadequate supply of seeds and fertilizers. One farmer in
Gujarat lost his life and nine others were injured across the country in the 74 incidents of violence
reported by the intelligence agencies until June this year. Maharashtra accounted for the highest
incidents at 17, followed by 12 in Haryana, 8 in Bihar, 7 in West Bengal, 6 in Punjab and 5 each in
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In 2014, the first six months saw a total of 37 incidents
of violence caused by farm distress in which one farmer had died in Punjab, while 82 others were
injured in different places. As many as 26 policemen were also injured in these violence-related
incidents due to agrarian crisis.Incidents of unrest on account of farm crisis, according to an
intelligence report, may have shown a rise due to opposition to the land acquisition ordinance that
lapsed recently for want of parliamentary approval, besides other factors such as low minimum
support price and inadequate supply of fertilizers and seeds. (Times of India 9/9/15)
State government gets into active mode (20)
HYDERABAD: Alarmed at suicide by fifteen distressed farmers in the last two days, the Telangana
government on Friday tightened its machinery asking all the Assistant Directors and Agricultural
Officers in the State to stay put in their headquarters to be easily accessible to the farming community
and liberalised steps for renewal of crop loans. Though the government has only repaid to banks 50
per cent of the loans borrowed by farmers in the past as part of the loan waiver scheme, it has asked
Mandal Revenue Officers and banks to issue separate certificates that 100 per cent of the loan
amount was waived off to facilitate fresh borrowings. All the 4,900 bank branches in the State were
asked to renew loans without interest up to Rs. 1 lakh and at 3 per cent for loans from Rs. 1 lakh to
Rs. 3 lakh, said Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Roads and Buildings Minister
Tummala Nageswara Rao at a press conference here on Friday. They earlier held a video conference
with Joint Directors of Agriculture of all districts to review the situation at the ground level. Agriculture
Secretary C. Parthasarathi and Commissioner G.D. Priyadarshini were also present. Mr. Srinivas
Reddy played down the suicide turmoil saying it was nothing new as hundreds of farmers died during
the Congress regime from 2009 to 2014. The official committees set up at revenue divisional level
certified suicide by only 141 farmers since the formation of Telangana State in June last year.
However, there were 409 reported deaths which the panels are scrutinising, he added. The 141
farmers who died include 14 in Adilabad, 9 in Karimnagar, 8 in Mahbubnagar, 67 in Medak, 16 in
Ranga Reddy and 27 in Warangal. Denying that crop had dried up due to scanty rainfall this season,
he said there was no damage to crop in Warangal, Adilabad, Khammam and Nalgonda. The crop
damage was a little high in Mahbubnagar and to a less extent in Nizamabad, Medak and Ranga
Reddy. He admitted there was the danger of less yield because flowering of crop had suffered due to
lack of rains in July. (The Hindu 12/9/15)
Farmers are just pawns in political games (20)
Nagpur: The Nationalist Congress Party is resorting to a 'jail-bharo' agitation from Monday in
Marathwada where spectre of drought looms large Much before that, Congress vice-president Rahul
Gandhi, trying to relaunch himself took up a 15-km walk in sweltering April heat of Vidarbha to show
solidarity with farmers. As these two incidents prove, farmers come to the rescue of any political party
that is in Opposition. For over five decades farmers are being used as pawns in political games. As a
result the state has achieved notoriety again as one with highest number of farmer suicides as per the
National Crime Records Bureau data of last year. On September 23, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar will
be touring villages in suicide-prone Yavatmal villages of Vidarhha. He has already visited Marathwada
where farm suicides are on rise. Since farming community comprises over 65% of population, taking
up their cause is natural for parties. Yet, it is ironical that in the otherwise progressive state, farmers
are the most hapless lot. Such political pressure mounted by the Opposition tends to often change
priorities of the government of the day. Last year, soon after taking over the reins chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis announced he would concentrate on long-term measures to end the farm crisis
instead of short term annual relief for crop losses. Yet he was forced to declare drought in over
30,000 villages in the state. There are officials who found that except soyabean, yields of other crops
were not that bad last year. In current kharif season too, official are vouching for a bumper crop of
cotton in Vidarhha as well as Marathwada. The opposition parties, however, are crying hoarse for
urgent relief claiming all crops have suffered. The Congress is already agitating for total loan waiver of
all dues of farmers and compensation as well as interest-free crop loans for next crop. They also want
Rs6,000 a quintal price for cotton. Despite their numbers, farmers have never been able to decide
their own political destiny in the state and have to rely on Opposition parties. In 90s Shetkari
Sanghatana led by Sahard Joshi was the most powerful voice. His call would bring out farmers in
lakhs for protest and rallies. Yet, when Joshi tried to form a political party of his own, he miserably
failed. (Times of India 13/9/15)
AP tobacco farmers in distress as unsold inventory piles up (20)
The Tobacco market in Andhra Pradesh is in a crisis as there are no takers for the low grades and
prices are plummeting on the auction floors for such grades. Two suicides have been reported from
Prakasam district and Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu has urged farmers not to lose heart and
assured them that steps will be taken to address the problem. The authorised crop for the State is 172
million kg for 2014-15 and so far 141 mkg of tobacco has been sold on the floors at an average price
of ₹103.64 a kg. Still, 30 mkg more of authorised crop is yet to be sold, and to make matters worse
there is a surplus of at least 20 mkg. In all, 50 mkg of tobacco is lying with farmers, much of it low
grade. The auctions have been sluggish from the start of the year and now in the concluding phase,
the going has become very difficult. There are no takers for the low grades and low prices are being
offered, making it unremunerative for the farmers. The problem is especially acute in Prakasam and
Nellore districts in the southern light soils and southern black soils. The best tobacco in the State is
produced in West Godavari in the northern light soils (NLS).So far, 50 mkg of tobacco has been sold
in the NLS area in West Godavari district and there may be 15 mkg more left with farmers in the
district including 3 mkg of surplus. The problem has not affected the region as bright grades are more
prominent. Quality of the crop has dipped in Prakasam and Nellore districts and prices realised on the
floors are very low. The farmers want at least ₹65 a kg for such tobacco. They also want the Tobacco
Board to take steps to reactivate the market and want no punitive cess imposed on the unauthorised
crop as it would accentuate the problems of farmers. (Business Line 15/9/15)
Suicides by tobacco growers turn spotlight on crisis (20)
GUNTUR/ONGOLE/VIJAYAWADA: Even as the Tobacco Board was grappling with carryover stocks
and poor prices of low and medium grades, the suicide of two farmers -- Bollineni Krishna Rao and
Venkat Rao -- within two days in Prakasam district, turned the spotlight on the crisis. The Flue Cured
Virginia (FCV) Tobacco trade in Andhra Pradesh had been hit by a volatile global market and as
prices of low and medium grade tobacco plummeted rapidly farmers began to feel the pinch.
Meanwhile, the farmers’ organisation in Prakasam district welcomed the Union Minister’s decision.
The inaction of the Tobacco Board under stewardship of Mr. Gopal to come to the rescue of the
growers was responsible for the two farmer suicides, said CPI-led All India Kisan Sabha State general
secretary Ravula Venkaiah. YSR Congress Whip in Parliament Y.V. Subba Reddy said had the
Centre taken action against the Chairman earlier, the suicides could have been averted. Former MP
Y. Sivaji said the Tobacco Board and the State Trading Corporation should be pressed into action to
create buoyancy in the market. Minimum guaranteed price should be announced so that the farmers
could make up their mind before growing tobacco in a particular year, he said. (The Hindu 17//9/15)
Punjab cotton growers lost Rs 3,800 crore: Farmer outfits (20)
BATHINDA: Farmers and peasant outfits continued to protest for the fifth day on Monday seeking
compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for cotton growers whose crops were destroyed by whitefly. On
Monday, farmers took out a massive march to the office of Bathinda chief agriculture officer. They
raised their voice against companies for providing spurious pesticides and agriculture department
officials, agriculture minister Tota Singh for giving freedom to the input firms to fleece and cheat the
farmers. "Cotton crop over 9 lakh acres has been damaged due to whitefly and the loss of farmers is
nearly Rs 3,800 crore in Punjab, but the state government till now has sanctioned only Rs 10 crore. It
is not only a cruel joke with the cotton growers, but also a step towards forcing farmers to commit
suicides," said farmer organization BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri. He
said five farmers have committed suicide in less than a month in Bathinda and Barnala districts and
more may follow suit if the state government failed to compensate the farmers. "Spurious pesticides
provided by companies and fake seeds are mainly responsible for the losses to cotton growers," said
BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) president Buta Singh Burjgill. BKU (Krantikari) chief Surjit Singh Phool said,
"The agriculture minister is also equally responsible for the order of 92,000 litres of Oberon pesticides
worth Rs 33 crore without initiating any tendering process, but action has been taken against only
agriculture department director Mangal Singh Sandhu." When contacted the agriculture minister
denied the charges levelled by farm leaders. He said he had ordered investigations into purchase of
pesticides without the tendering process. He also said compensation amount would be finalized after
the completion of girdawari (revenue survey) later in the week. (Times of India 22/9/15)
Four persons commit suicide (20)
NALGONDA: Four persons committed suicide in separate incidents in the district on Wednesday.
Paramesh (32), working as a field assistant with MNREGS at Dugyala village of PA Pally mandal,
committed suicide by consuming pesticide. The police reportedly found a suicide note in which the
field assistant held the local MPDO responsible. A case was registered. In another incident, a weaver
committed suicide at Vellanki village of Rammannapet mandal. The deceased was identified as Jella
Ramaswamy (50). At Chowlla Ramaram village of Mothkur mandal, a farmer committed suicide by
consuming pesticide. The deceased was identified as Mettu Krupakar Reddy (41). In another incident,
a 22-year-old woman committed suicide by consuming pesticide at Bariavanibanda village of
Shaligouraram mandal. (The Hindu 24/9/15)
Farmer suicides continue unabated in Telangana (20)
SANGAREDDY: Driven to despair by mounting debts, three farmers committed suicide in Medak
district in the last 24 hours while one ended his life in Khammam district. According to sources,
Bheema Narayana, a farmer belonging to Singatam village in Gajwel mandal, committed suicide by
hanging. According to sources, he had about Rs. 6 lakh debt, out of which about Rs. 4 lakh was with
the APGVB local branch. He had about four acres of land and had dug four borewells but all of them
failed. In addition, the cotton crop had completely dried up. Unable to find a way out, Bheema
Narayana took the extreme step. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Gajwel police have
registered a case and are investigating. In another case, G. Ramulu (45), of Munipally, committed
suicide late last night at a farm, unable to bear the pressure of debt. According to S. Koteswara Rao,
Sub-Inspector, Munipally, Ramulu had about eight acres of land along with his family members and
leased out another three acres from others. He had invested heavily on cotton crop, which dried up.
Vexed with financial problems, Ramulu hanged himself. Munipally police registered a case and are
investigating. In the third case, S. Kavitha (30), a farmer of Dakur village in Andol mandal, committed
suicide by self-immolation on Friday. According to Sub-Inspector P. Srinivas, Kavitha had four acres
of land and committed suicide by immolation. The reasons for suicide are not known. Jogipet police
registered a case and are investigating. Khammam Staff Reporter adds: A tenant farmer allegedly
killed himself by drinking pesticide at Narayanapuram village on the intervening night of Thursday and
Friday. According to sources, P. Bhaskar Rao, 38, a tenant farmer, had grown cotton and other crops
on five acres of leased land by taking loans from private moneylenders. His efforts did not bear fruit
as a major part of the crops withered due to the prolonged dry spell. The successive crop failure for
the second year in a row landed him in a debt-trap. He took the drastic step after making desperate
attempts to tide over the financial crisis, but in vain, sources close to the deceased farmer’s family
said. (The Hindu 26/9/15)
Farmers to Block Roads in Protest Against Govt Apathy (20)
MYSURU: In protest against the state and Union governments’ ‘failure’ to check farmer suicides,
groups of farmers have planned to block highways on September 30 between 11 am and 3 pm.
Announcing this here on Sunday, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha general secretary Nagendra said
they will block the Mysuru-Nanjangud highway near Bandipalya while farmers from Chamrajnagar will
block highways in Gundlupet and Kollegal. Mandya farmers will block the highway at Srirangapatna
and Maddur while Hassan farmers will block the highway at Bhuvanahalli and farmers in Kodagu
district will block the highway at Gonikoppa. He said, “Only ambulances or vehicles carrying those
needing medical help will be allowed to pass and all other vehicles will be stopped.” He also appealed
to the public to extend support to the farmers’ stir. The farmers’ leader warned that failure to check the
incidents of suicides and to keep agriculture out of the World Trade Organisation’s ambit will push
farmers to mass suicide. Nagendra said many farmers’ organisations from other states too have
extended support to the stir. He urged the government to waive agriculture loans, fix scientific prices
for farmers’ produce and introduce a new loan policy. He said the Union government, that has control
over fertilisers and sugar, should also act responsibly. Demanding that the government constitute the
National Agriculture Wages Commission to protect farmers’ families, he said that the KRRS would
press for a national water policy. Drinking water should be a national priority and sufficient funds must
be released to Karnataka to tackle the drought situation. The Prime Minister must intervene to resolve
the Kalasa-Banduri issue and to stop discharge of Kabini-Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu, he added.
(New Indian Express 28/9/15)
‘Lack of irrigation main cause of suicides’ (20)
ADILABAD: Former Maharashtra minister Shivaji Rao Moghe on Thursday said the lack of irrigation in
Yavatmal district in Vidarbha region was the main reason for the high farmer suicide rate. He said as
many as 49 farmers had committed suicide in Yavatmal in September. Addressing a press
conference along with former Adilabad District Congress Committee president C. Ramchander
Reddy, Mr. Moghe underscored the need for starting work on the inter-State Lower Penganga Project.
He said the project would irrigate as much as 2.27 lakh hectare of land in the backward Vidarbha
region and in Adilabad district. Accusing the BJP government in Maharashtra of soft pedalling on the
issue of starting work, the Maharashtra Congress leader said the LPP has all mandatory clearances.
He said the project would get the status of Central Project if it was an ongoing one, which is one of
the three conditions set for according such a status. Mr. Moghe said a rally and public meeting would
be held at Pandharkawda, about 45 km from Adilabad headquarters town, under the banner of the
Nimn Penganga Nirman and Punarvasan Samiti to create awareness among people in Vidarbha
districts. He said the awareness level of common people in the region on the project and its various
aspects, like compensation for land acquired, was low. (The Hindu 2/10/15)
No distress sale of land owing to agricultural crisis (20)
MYSURU: The agricultural crisis and spurt in farmers suicide in the region has not triggered any
large-scale distress sale of land by cultivators. Activists associated with farmers’ organisation have
allayed such fears and said the present crisis has not triggered such a sale or any exodus of farmers
abandoning agriculture in preference to work in urban centres. Badagalpura Nagendra of Karnataka
Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) told The Hindu that agricultural activity had gathered momentum,
though there were ups and downs, but there was no distress sale of land. He said the aversion that
people of Hallada Manuganahalli in H.D. Kote and Chikkabeechanahalli in Hunsur towards land
acquisition displayed a few years ago, was still prevalent and the recent agricultural crisis had not
affected their sentiments. There may be a few stray cases of farmers prepared to sell their land to tide
over extreme financial crisis but they are personal decisions taken by individual farmers. “There was
no such general sentiment to abandon agriculture and sell land,” he added. Kurubur Shanthakumar of
the Sugarcane Cultivators Association said farmers in district hinterland cannot expect rates
prevailing around urban areas like Mysuru and hence there was no trend. However, the price of farm
land around Mysuru had definitely come down and this was part of a trend spread over years and not
due to the present crisis. But none of the farmers have benefitted from the sale as brokers and
commission agents reaped a windfall, while those who sold the land are out on streets, said Mr.
Shanthakumar. A case in point was the sale of nearly 600 acres of land at Kochanahalli in Nanjangud
taluk a few years ago, where farmers were assured of “permanent jobs” and received a pittance for
their land. They soon ended up as landless labourers. “A study conducted by the Mysore Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(FKCCI) in rural areas of the region confirmed that there was no distress sale of agricultural land,”
said Sudhakar Shetty, Regional Convener of FKCCI. The tour was conducted to reach out to
distressed farmers and prepare a scheme to help them tide over difficulty. The scheme to reach out to
the needy farmers will be finalised in December, he added. (The Hindu 5/10/15)
6 Debt-ridden Telengana Farmers Kill Themselves (20)
NIZAMABAD/ADILABAD/NALGONDA/SANGAREDDY:The farmer death toll on Monday stands at six,
as four debt-ridden farmers hanged themselves and two others consumed poison in separate
incidents across the State. A farmer from Mannevaripally village of Bhongiri mandal in Nalgonda
hanged himself on Sunday night. According to police, the deceased has been identified as M Illaiah
(60). Meanwhile in Sangareddy, a debt-ridden farmer Pitla Anjaiah (55) from Bandla Posanipally
village of Yeldurthy also hanged himself at his house on Sunday night. In Nizamabad, a farmer B Raju
(31) committed suicide by hanging from a tree in his fields in Shathronayak Tanda of Darpally, on
Monday. In another incident in Nizamabad district, a A tenant farmer J Swami (31) from Ratnagri
Palle in Machareddy mandal committed suicide by consuming pesticides on his farm on Monday. The
villagers found his body in the afternoon and informed the police. Meanwhile in Adilabad, in separate
incidents, two farmers committed suicide on Monday. According to police, S Sukander (29) committed
suicide by consuming poison at his residence. He used to cultivate 14 acres of land and had invested
`4 lakh. He was worried about debts incurred as his soya crop withered and this led him to resort to
the extreme step. His family rushed him to Boath Government Hospital and after giving first aid
treatment, doctors referred him to Nirmal government hospital for better treatment. In Nirmal doctors
referred him to Hyderabad, but he died on the way. In another incident, a farmer Solanki Noorsing
(30) committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence in Gurllathanda village of Boath mandal.
Solanki was worried about debts as his soya bean crop completely wilted and this led him to take his
life. Boath mandal sub-inspector Jagan reddy has filed a case and are investigating. (New Indian
Express 6/10/15)
Kin of only 132 farmers who ended lives may get government aid (20)
At least 541 farmers commit ted suicides in the past six months, but the state government may not
pay compensation to families of all these farmers. For, many of them are not "eligible suicide victims",
according to the government criteria. In fact, families of only 132 of these farmers qualified for
compensation from the government so far, according to a report prepared by the state agriculture
department ahead of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's visit to the state on Friday. While 99
cases were rejected, another 285 are awaiting some records and investigation. So who's qualified?
According to officials, families of only those farmers whose deaths were linked to distress due to
debts and crop failure. And the cause is verified by a committee comprising the assistant
commissioner, a police officer and an agriculture officer. Only after confirmation, the family will be
eligible for the Rs 2 lakh compensation. As per norms, the tahsildar asks the bereaved family about
30 questions -on land ownership to debt and crop failure -and checks if it's a "genuine" case based on
documents provided by the family besides the FIR and the FSL report. Thanks to the norms, families
of very few farmers who killed themselves have benefited. For instance, to be termed an "eligible
suicide victim", a farmer must have received three notices from cooperative banks before committing
suicide. Similarly, many cases were rejected on the ground that the victims were not farmers: this was
because the victim was either doing farming on a leased land or was practicing oral tenancy. The list
also shut out many SCST peasants -whose title to land is seldom clear. Families of many sugarcane
farmers also lost out. Many families that got compensation were of farmers who killed themselves
after failing to sell their cotton or maize crops, or those who were forced to sell at low rates. State
Sugarcane Growers' Association President Kurbur Shanthakumar said, "It seems officials were blindly
following the orders of the government to show the number of farmer suicides as low as possible." He
said they have already petitioned the CM to give compensation to kin of all farmers who have
committed suicide this year considering the agrarian crisis and drought (Times of India 9/10/15)
State Govt Responsible for Farmers' Death: Narasingh (20)
BALANGIR: The State Government is solely responsible for the farmers’ death in Western Odisha,
said Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra. Speaking to mediapersons
here on Sunday, Mishra said though the farmers of Balangir, Bargarh and Sambalpur districts are the
worst affected, the Government has done little to lessen their miseries. “No irrigation facilities, no
market link for farm produce and lack of necessary infrastructure are leading the farmers to commit
suicide,” said Mishra. Farmers are forced to opt for distress sale of paddy as their pleas for irrigation
facility after deficit rainfall has fallen on deaf ears. According to the Supreme Court’s order, district
Collectors, Chief Secretary and State Government are equally responsible for the farmers’ death.
“The farmers’ suicide should be immediately inquired, and if the cause is assigned to Government
negligence, the Collector and Chief Secretary must be held responsible,” he added. “In spite of
frequent suicides, the Government has not taken any step to deal with the situation and hence I
demand adequate compensation for the farmers,” Mishra said. A farmer, Bhakta Dharua (50) of
Danddrabahal village in Patnagarh sub-division of the district committed suicide by hanging from a
tree. Dharua had taken a loan of `17,000 from a bank. (New Indian Express 12/10/15)
Farmer suicides continues even after relief package (20)
BENGALURU: Even after Karnataka government announced a massive relief package for farmers
prodded by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, farmers in Karnataka continue to end their lives.
Cooperation minister H S Mahadev Prasad told reporters on Wednesday about 583 farmers have
committed suicide since April 1. And the suicides continue even after the government came out with a
a special relief package that included hike in compensation, waiver of penal interest on loans,
insurance policy, enhancement of pension for widows. The officials are still in the process of
investigating as to why the farmers had killed themselves in the last few weeks - whether it was
because they could not repay their loans or because they found out they would not benefit from the
loan waiver scheme. Prasad said the government will make necessary amendments to simply the
procedures and criteria while extending monetary compensation for families of deceased farmers.
This part, he said they will also make landless farmers and agricultural labourers who take up fields
on lease eligible for compensation. The minister said the waiver penal interest on all kinds of crop
loans, including short and long-term ones taken from all cooperative banks and societies till
September 30 may cost the government about Rs 22 crore. (Times of India 14/10/15)
‘Swaminathan report only way to make farming profitable’ (20)
ONGOLE: Concerned over the spurt in farm suicides, the Prakasam Zilla Parishad on Thursday
adopted a unanimous resolution, urging the Union and State governments to take immediate steps to
implement the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers headed by noted agriculture
scientist M.S. Swaminathan. Both the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the Opposition YSRC members
agreed that farming could be profitable only if the panel’s recommendations were implemented in toto.
The Zilla Parishad also adopted a unanimous resolution, urging the Centre to provide a special
package to Prakasam district on the lines of the one sanctioned for Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra
districts. It adopted resolutions urging the State government to declare all the 56 mandals in the
district as drought-hit and demanding effective steps to regulate erection of flexi-boards. TDP MLC
and party central committee vice-president Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy underscored the need for a
market stabilisation fund with equal contributions from the Union and State governments. YSRC MLA
from Kandukur Pothula Rama Rao demanded that the Centre release the compensation of Rs. 20 per
kg of tobacco to all varieties of low-grade stock, while TDP MLA from Parchur Yelluri Sambasiva Rao
wanted the district administration to encourage farmers to switch over from tobacco to other crops.
Telugu Desam Party MLA Dola Bala Veeranjaneyaswami wanted the Tobacco Board to take farmers
into confidence before finalising the Minimum Guaranteed Price. YSRC MLA from Addanki Gottipatti
Ravikumar pointed out that cotton growers were in trouble, as the Cotton Corporation of India had left
ryots to the mercy of private traders. He demanded a minimum support price of Rs. 5,000 per quintal
of cotton. The house also adopted a resolution condoling the death of former Zilla Parishad
chairperson Ch.Venkaiah and Kurchedu ZPTC K. Pichaiah. (The Hndu 16/10/15)
Farmer Suicide Scourge Continues in Western Odisha (20)
BHAWANIPATNA/JHARSUGUDA/BALANGIR:Death stalked Western Odisha where two more
farmers, crushed under the debt burden, ended their lives in the last 24 hours even as authorities
confined themselves to perfunctory measures in face of an unrelenting agrarian crisis. Bira Majhi, a
55-year-old tribal farmer of Kalahandi district’s Dharamgarh block, committed suicide on Sunday. Bira
left his house in Dhanrabhata village in the morning for his farm land and later in the afternoon,
villagers found his body hanging from a tree. He is survived by wife, two married daughters and two
sons who have gone outside the State for livelihood. Bira’s wife Surekha Majhi told the police that her
husband had taken loan from a money lender three months back for the marriage of their daughter.
While he was not able to repay, crop loss in his two acres of land pushed him to depression. Unable
to bear the financial burden, Bira killed himself, Surekha added. Police have sent the body to Koksara
for post-mortem. IIC of Koksara police station Omprakash Patra said an unnatural death case has
been registered and investigation is on to ascertain the cause of suicide. Following the incident, BJP
workers staged a blockade on NH-26 at Koksara in front of the block office in the evening demanding
adequate compensation for Bira’s family. Dharamgarh Sub-Collector Bineet Bharadwaj said the real
cause of Bira’s death will be known after a thorough investigation. The district administration will
conduct an inquiry into the incident on Monday itself. The family of the deceased has already been
provided support from Harischandra Yojana, he added. In Jharsuguda district, 33-year-old Sashi
Kishan, a farmer of Dungripada village under Kolabira police limits hanged himself in his house while
his wife and minor son had gone out on Saturday evening. Sashi had taken a loan of Rs 40,000 from
local co-operative society besides private money lenders for cultivation of kharif crop, his relatives
said. But he suffered huge crop loss in his two-acre land for the second consecutive year. He was
also ailing for the past few days. Kolabira Tehsildar Leena Kumari visited the spot and met Sashi’s
wife Parbati Kishan. District Collector Parmeshwaran B said that he was intimated about the farmer’s
death by the Tehsildar and the administration would help Shashi’s family in all possible ways. In
Balangir district, a third farmer tried to end his life but survived the bid. The 35-year-old Anand Patel
of Paria village under Balangir Sadar block had taken loans taken from different sources for growing
paddy. But the entire crop was damaged due to deficient rain. On Saturday evening, Anand
consumed pesticide in his field and fell unconscious. His family members rushed him to Balangir
District Headquarters Hospital and later, he was shifted to VSS Medical, Burla as his condition
deteriorated. His condition is stated to be critical. Balangir Sub-Collector Bimal Mohanty said a joint
inquiry will be conducted by the Tehsildar and the Agriculture department into the case. On the basis
of inquiry report, necessary action will be taken, he added. Earlier, two farmers of the district had
committed suicide following crop loss and unrepaid debt. Pita Nag of Jampada of Bangomunda block
committed suicide by consuming poison while Bhakta Dharua of Dandrabahal village under
Patnagarh sub-division hanged himself to death. (New Indian Express 19/10/15)
Tribal farmers of Dantewada turn barren lands into green fields (20)
RAIPUR: Despite the challenges of uneven land, irregular irrigation source and facilities, dearth of
knowledge of selection of best seeds, fertilizers and modern technology, tribal farmers of Dantewada,
South Bastar district succeeded in shaping up their dream of organically growing horticulture
produces and pulses under district administration's scheme called 'Mocho Baadi'-organic farming,
initiated in 2013-14. Dantewada is renowned for its tribal culture, dense forest and Maoist-hotbed. By
taking up occupation of agriculture, tribals have created opportunity out of challenges. Previously,
only rice crop were cultivated and harvested once a year for which the farmers were dependent on
rain-god. Veggies, pulses and oilseeds cultivation had no existence. Besides non-fencing facility and
free movement of animals declined local's inclination towards farming. Moreover, poverty, insufficient
supply of cereals led to rise of malnutrition in Dantewada. Hence, conserved environment and rich soil
fertility of Dantewada district made local admiration launch organic farming movement to address the
problem. Now 247 farmers are harvesting two crops of rice a year. Agriculture PR assistant director
Baghel said, "Initially the farmers were made aware about of organic farming along with its scope and
financial scope. Different departments of administration also coordinated to provide facilities like
irrigation pumps, dug well and ponds, vermin-compost tank, constructed concrete-floors in cow
stables for collection of cow's urine for making fertilizers and encouraged farmers to take up organic
farming whole-heartedly." So far 850 farmers of 37 gram panchayats of four development blocks have
benefitted under this scheme.ation. Ludruram Nag, a farmer, said, "By growing veggies, oil seeds and
pulses in our fields the intake of nutrition has improved." (Times of India 23/10/15)
Farm suicide toll already 129 more than 2014 (20)
Nagpur: Vidarbha continues to top the farmers' suicide chart in the state. The count has touched
1,256 till October last week in Vidarbha, though Marathwada is emerging as another Vidarbha with
800 farmers having ended their lives. The toll in Vidarbha for entire 2014 was 1,127. Marathwada has
been reeling under severe drought and water crisis. On the other hand, Vidarbha has recorded hardly
10 to 20% deficit in rainfall. However, activists here claim that it was an erratic monsoon which took
the toll. A dry spell in September, when a round of showers is needed to ensure proper growth of
plants, damaged soyabean, which is the second major crop of this region. Out of the total deaths
here, the state government has confirmed that 703 suicides were on account of agrarian distress. In
2014, a new benchmark was created with 749 suicides in this category, before that 2006 was
considered to be the worst year for Vidarbha's farmers, when 658 deaths were reported in the farm
distress category. In Marathwada's eight districts, over 510 deaths have been included in the farm
distress category. The eleven districts of Vidarbha are divided between Amravati in west and Nagpur
division in east Vidarbha. West Vidarbha, which has Yavatmal district, infamous for farmers suicides,
has already crossed the toll of 2014. There have been 556 deaths till October 21 this year, which is
one more than the entire toll in 2014, say government records. Inquiry is pending in 156 other cases,
to ascertain reasons for the suicides. East Vidarbha, which is relatively better off in terms of agrarian
crisis, has also registered 147 suicides considered to be due to agrarian distress, as against 197 last
year…. (Times of India 24/10/15)
Debt Drives Five More Farmers to Suicide in Karnataka (20)
BENGALURU:Crop failure and the inability to repay loans continues to drive farmers across the state
to suicide. Five farmers ended their lives on Sunday Mysuru: A 28-year-old farmer from Karunakuppe
in Hunsur taluk committed suicide by consuming poison on Sunday. Ravi had five acres of land and
had grown tobacco. Ravi was unable to pay Rs 6 lakh borrowed from banks and some moneylenders.
He consumed poison at his home in the morning. Yadgir: A farmer allegedly committed suicide by
consuming poison at Gonal in Surpur taluk in the district on Sunday. The deceased is Lingappa
Devendrappa (60), who had four acres of land. His familiy members said he had borrowed Rs 4 lakh
to cultivate cotton and was upset over crop failure. Mandya: A 42-year-old farmer in Mosalekoppalu of
Bookanakere hobli hanged himself in his house on Sunday. Mahadeva had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from
a bank and Rs 1.5 lakh from private lenders. His crops had withered after a borewell he had drilled
dried up. Dharwad: A 70-year-old farmer Fakkirappa Koppad hanged himself at his residence at
Hebballi village in Dharwad taluk on Sunday. He had 10 acres of land and borrowed Rs 8 lakh
including Rs 2.5 lakh from the Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank.Hassan: Chikkegowda (65), a farmer
of Singapatna village in Hassan taluk, allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison on Saturday
night. He was unable to repay loans to a cooperative bank due to crop loss, said sources. (New
Indian Express 26/10/15)
Five debt-ridden farmers end life in single day in Odisha (20)
BHUBANESWAR: Five farmers allegedly committed suicide on Monday, a day after chief minister
Naveen Patnaik assured farmers in the state of all possible help to mitigate their sufferings and told
them not to worry about unpaid loans. With this, the cases of alleged suicides of debt-ridden farmers
over crop loss over the past two months rose to 38, giving enough fodder to the opposition and farmer
organizations to target the BJD government's handling of the drought. One Pabitra Bariha (19), a
native of Sirabahal village under Bhatli block of Bargarh district, died at the district headquarters
hospital on Monday. He was hospitalized after he consumed pesticide on Sunday evening. Second of
three siblings, Pabitra was involved in his family's farming of paddy on five acre land and vegetables
on three acres. The crop got ruined because of deficient rainfall. The Bariha family had taken Rs 1.5
lakh loan, including Rs 50,000 from private money lenders, family sources said. Bargarh district
collector Anjan Manik said the death would be probed by revenue officials to verify if it was due to
crop loss. Considered the rice bowl of Odisha because of its vast tract of irrigated farmland from
Hirakud water reservoir, Bargarh has reported the highest number of alleged farmer suicides this
year, at 17, including seven in October alone. Bhatli block, where the latest incident of suicide was
reported from, is not irrigated; it depends solely on monsoon rain. A 26-year-old farmer, M Bidyadhar
Patra, allegedly hanged himself at Birasinghpur under K Nuagaon police station limits in Ganjam
district. Patra had cultivated the land of others as a share-cropper but suffered crop damage due to
lack of rain. Baidhar Pradhan, a resident of Sankulei village under Sadar block in Dhenkanal district,
died at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, a day after he consumed pesticide allegedly due
to crop damage by drought. One Bayadhar Mahalik (55), a resident of Sundarpaur under Chandbali
block, also died at SCB. He allegedly consumed pesticide at his farmland on Saturday. Family
sources said the marginal farmer owned one acre land and had cultivated another five-acre on sharecropping. He had taken Rs 50,000 as loan from a cooperative society, family sources said. Satrughna
Behera (45), a farmer of Tikarpada village near Keonjhar town, allegedly took poison and ended his
life triggering protests by locals. Hundreds of farmers blocked the national highway 215 demanding
compensation for his family. Satrughna had allegedly taken Rs 80,000 as loan and cultivated two acre
paddy and two acre vegetables. He leaves behind wife, two daughters and a son. Keonjhar block
development officer BDO Pradip Kumar Dang said the incident would be probed. The opposition
parties, BJP and Congress, questioned the government's sincerity in tackling the crisis. BJP leader
Bijoy Mohapatra said farmer suicides had gone up after Naveen announced a Rs 1000 crore package
for farmers, exposing the people's lack of trust on the government. Odisha Pradesh Congress
Committee president Prasad Harichandan said the government's initiatives for farmers were confined
to announcements alone. Paschim Odisha Krishak Sangathan, a farmers' organization, threatened to
stage protests across the 11 worst-affected districts on November 9…. (Times of India 27/10/15)
Odisha Government to Probe 41 Cases of Farmers' Suicide (20)
BHUBANESWAR: Amidst a State-wide confusion over the number of farmers who committed suicide
allegedly due to crop loss and loan burden, the State Government on Thursday said it is investigating
into the causes of 41 such cases while the number of drought hit districts has increased to 21. “We
have received reports on 41 farmer suicide cases. The Government is investigating to find out the
causes behind the deaths,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) GVV Sarma told mediapersons here.
The farmers’ deaths have been reported from 15 districts. Stating that district Collectors have already
sent their reports on the death of 41 farmers, Sarma said the Government’s priority is to tackle the
situation arising out of the dry spell condition. Different departments have been directed to work in
coordination to face the drought situation that has gripped 139 of the total 314 blocks spread over 21
districts where crop loss was 33 per cent or more based on the eye estimation report, he said. The
SRC said eye estimation on crop loss was done as per the guideline of the Odisha Relief Code. The
affected farmers would be provided subsidised agriculture inputs based on the final crop cutting
report, he added. The SRC maintained that each affected farmer would be identified and his/her loss
estimated as per the guidelines of State Disaster Response Fund. On the farmers suicide allegedly
due to loan burden, Sarma said the police and district administration have been told to keep a vigil on
the local money lenders. Action would be taken against the money lenders operating in villages
without valid licence, he said. (New Indian Express 30/10/15)
53 villages in Chhattisgarh's Marwahi parched, farmers on edge (20)
RAIPUR: With a farmer reportedly committing suicide due to bad crop and debt at village Darra in
Balod district on Friday night, situation in Bilaspur and Gariyaband districts is no better. Baiduram
Kewart, a farmer in village Dharhar in North Marwahi region of Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh along
with hundreds of other farmers have seen crops yellowing. About 90% fields in at least 53 villages in
North Marwahi received only six to eight days of rainfall during the monsoon leading to extreme
drought. Nearly 10,000 farmers in 43 villages of Karhanni, Patharri, Dediya, Maladand, Beljhiriya,
Bhalumada, Chachedi, Dharrhar couldn't even sow seeds while village Changeri received only half an
hour rainfall in monsoon. A team of ten members, headed by joint secretary, seed, Government of
India, visited the region on Friday and found that Marwahi and Gariyaband were one of the worst
drought-affected areas that call for immediate assistance, else situation may worsen. Talking to TOI,
former agriculture minister Chandrashekhar Sahu, who visited the place with team said, "Situation in
Marwahi is too bad to ignore, while few patches have weak crops waiting for harvest, others look
deserted. All farmers in the region should get Centre's agriculture insurance benefits for the loss. We
have asked state relief commissioner to help farmers arrange for seeds in next khareef season,
provide clean drinking water and assist in animal husbandry." TOI spoke to a few farmers, who said
that they were left with only 15-day of fodder for cattle while all ponds had dried up. "We are drawing
muddy water from hand pumps, which is a sign that ground water resource is depleting at fast pace.
Moreover, people foresee health hazards with dirty water, pulses and vegetables available at high
prices," said Vansdhari Puri, a panchayat member of village Dharahar. Though Chhattisgarh
government had declared 93 out of 144 tehsils as drought-hit in September, with sudden spell of rain,
it was assumed that danger of drought was averted. Retired chief climatologist at Indira Gandhi
Agriculture University ASRA Shastri, however, said, "State might have received good rain in
September, but this rain wasn't evenly distributed. Farmers have already lost 30% in their production
due to the dry spell." He added that several patches in Narharpur of Bastar division, Pandariya and
Bemetara of Durg division and Udaipur block of Ambikapur division faced similar situation. Talking to
TOI, Pradeep Sharma, convener, Akal Mukti Abhiyan said, "There's no water in region, farmers are
migrating out to work or have engaged themselves in MGNREGA jobs to earn livelihood. Children are
suffering from malnutrition and others are dropping out from schools to help parents in MGNREGA
jobs. While water conservation has become significant, locals say that they are forced to migrate to
work in brick kilns in Uttar Pradesh as MGNREGA payments are never regular or organized." One
problem of drought leads to many more. According to Tuleshwar Markam, vice-president of
Gondwana Gantantra Party, "Unorganized labour migration causes mass-selling of cattle, which in
next season would again be a challenge for them to buy cattle for fields, hence, it turns out to be
continuous migration of people, leaving farming behind." However, about 28 civil society members
and NGOs together formed a platform called Chhattisgarh civil society consortium for drought relief
and have started working with villages to assess major issues and magnitude of drought. Society will
develop support system, help inter-community participation to assist each other and fight crisis.
(Times of India 1/11/15)
Odisha government gets death report of 48 farmers (20)
Bhubaneswar: The Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government on Tuesday confirmed receiving the
death report of 48 farmers, even as two more farmers committed suicide. The government said it
would issue a white paper on the death of farmers. Even as the state government has declared a
drought package of Rs.1,000 crore, it has failed to deter the farmers from committing suicide in
Odisha. Panaka Purti of Hatisingeda village in Dhenkanal district committed suicide by hanging on
Monday night. Kunja Hansa of Baijalpur in Kalahandi district also hanged himself allegedly due to
crop loss and debt burden, said their family sources. Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) spokesperson
Pratap Keshari Deb said the government has received the death report of 48 people so far while an
inquiry is going on to ascertain the actual cause of deaths. Stating that the government was
concerned about the rising number of such deaths, he said the government would issue a white paper
on the deaths. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Balangir district on Tuesday
showed black flags to Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy during his visit to the district to assess
the drought situation. Accusing the government of failing to tackle the drought and check rising
incidents of farmers' suicides, the activists shouted 'Go back Minister.'Police sources said they have
arrested four BJP workers over the incident. (Business Standard 3/11/15)
Rs 7000 crore farmer relief proposals to be tabled in the House: MP CM (20)
JHABUA: A day ahead of a special session of Madhya Pradesh Assembly, chief minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that proposals to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore to provide relief to
farmers in the midst of agrarian crisis, will be tabled in the House for clearance. "Proposals amounting
to Rs 7,000 crore in farmers' interest will be tabled in the House for clearance tomorrow," Chouhan
told reporters here as the state government geared up for the day-long session. "Our priority is to
provide relief to farmers whose crops have been damaged due to scanty rainfall and other reasons in
the state. For farmer's sake we have convened the session," he said. The CM said that the state was
working for turning agriculture in profitable business under which it is providing zero per cent interest
loans to the farmers, among other facilities. "The agriculture growth rate of MP has been excellent at
over 20 per cent consecutively in last four years which is a rare feat," he said. Congress Legislature
Party (CLP) leader Satyadev Katare said, "We welcome the move of the ruling party to hold the
special session, following our demand." He claimed that the condition of farmers was so worrisome in
MP that 2230 of them have committed suicide in last 7 months in the state according to a survey of
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh - a body of Sangh Parivar. He said that had the MP government been serious,
such a huge number of farmers might not have ended their life. "The farmers are in distress since last
three successive years due to crop failure. As the government has failed to address their woes, they
are taking the extreme step," Katare alleged. He said that the state government should come out clear
regarding the relief amount it is going to receive from the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for
Madhya Pradesh farmers. Katare said that though Chouhan and his Cabinet colleagues have had met
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union cabinet ministers seeking help for the farmers, no
relief has yet trickled in MP. The previous UPA government had given adequate relief amount to
Madhya Pradesh whenever the state faced some crisis, he added. (Times of India 4/11/15)
Farmer suicides: kin want Rs. 10 lakh aid (20)
ONGOLE: Families of farmers, who have committed suicide in Prakasam district, staged a
demonstration here on Friday seeking a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each. Leading the protest,
Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangam State secretary N. Ranga Rao alleged that preoccupied with the
construction of new capital city, the government had become lax in providing succour to the farmers’
families, despite 266 debt-ridden ryots including 210 tenant farmers had committed suicide in the
State. Further, the ‘diluted loan waiver scheme and penal interest on farm loans’ had added to the
woes of the farmers, he said. Only two of the families 37 farmers, who had ended lives, had received
compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each so far, CPI(ML) New Democracy-district Secretary
Ch.Venkateswarulu pointed out. In the hope of getting the compensation amount, the families were
running from pillar to post to produce 13 documents as insisted upon by revenue officials, All India
Kisan Sabha district Secretary V. Hanuma Reddy said. Speaking on the occasion, Kavulu Rythu
Sangam district Secretary P. Hanumantha Rao expressed doubt on the sincerity of the government in
bailing out the distressed families. “The enhanced relief package declared by the GO62 is far from
implementation. As a result, 10 children in the farmers’ families are in the verge of discontinuing their
higher studies,” Rythu Sangam district Secretary D. Gopinath said. (The Hindu 7/11/15)
Mass marriage to stop farmer suicides! (20)
Mysuru: It was a mass marriage, but it was not organised by any religious institution or a single
private person. Over 6,000 people flew to Nanjangud Srikanteswara Kalamandir, where an air of
celebration prevailed. It was a big day for 116 couples, including five specially challenged, and 107
couples who were children of farmers. They all entered wedlock at the simple mass marriage,
“Shubharamba,” organised by Mysuru district administration entirely through private sponsorship. The
district administration had conducted a survey among farmers who ended their lives recently. They
found that frivolous expenditure for weddings leading to unnecessary loans and a stressful life was
one of the major reasons behind their suicides. So Deputy Commissioner C Shikha, decided to
change that with the support of District-in-charge Minister V Srinivasprasad. They formed a team of
district-level officers led by probationary DC Shilpa Nag and organized a mass wedding for all
communities, irrespective of their financial status, on Sunday. The purpose to transform the mindset
of people, especially farmers, to embrace simple weddings, and also to support farmers who are in
distress at the time of drought and prevent farmer suicides. The oath of Kuvempu’s Manthra
Mangalya was administered to the couples by Mr Srinivasprasad, who said, “Weddings should not
become a matter of prestige, but a simple occasion to unify hearts and build beautiful lives. We will
recommend to the State government to extend this initiative to other districts.” Except for five couples
from Mysuru district, and three from other districts including Ramanagar, Chamarajnagar and Hassan,
107 couples were children of farmers from all taluks of Mysuru district. (Asian Age 9/11/15)
Farmers trapped in private debt (20)
Mumbai : Despite Amravati region witnessing highest number of farmer suicides, the state
government has not allocated a single rupee to private moneylenders to free farmers from their debt.
Even in Aurangabad, which ranks second in terms of farmer suicides, the state has distributed a mere
Rs 1.32 crore to private moneylenders. According to an official from the agriculture ministry, the
district level committee has approved of a plan to distribute `6.71 crore among 423 private
moneylenders across the Amravati division, the amount has not been disbursed from the district
treasury and distributed. “The highest amount — Rs 6.70 crore — has been approved in Amravati
district to benefit 3,500 farmers who are indebted to 349 private moneylenders,” the official said,
adding, “Not a singe proposal has been approved by the district-level committee in Yeotmal district to
implement the scheme to make farmers debt-free.” In Yeotmal, a taluka-level committee
recommended that Rs 71.35 lakh be distributed among 38 approved moneylenders to benefit 126
farmers. Till October end, only Rs 1,32,28,000 has been disbursed among 10 private moneylenders
within 19 districts from Vidarbha and Marathwada region. The official said that the amount that has
been disbursed is limited to Aurangabad district only. The district-level committee has approved the
distribution of Rs 1.32 crore to to 10 moneylenders, which would benefit 716 farmers. Minister for
agriculture Eknath Khadse said he would look into matter and find out why the approved amount has
not been disbursed among private moneylenders. “We have committed to free farmers from debt
involving private moneylenders and we have approved more than Rs 150 crore for the said purpose,”
Mr Khadse said. Kishor Tiwari, chief of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swawlanban Mission, said that the
stringent criteria to select moneylenders and the farmers are behind the failure of the scheme. “The
criteria is this: both moneylenders and farmers who want to benefit from the scheme should be from
same taluka. This is not the case in several cases and that’s why farmers have not benefited from the
scheme,” said Mr Tiwari. He further said that ‘negative tendencies’ among government employees is
another reason behind the failure of the scheme. “Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis too agreed that
half of the administration does not cooperate government. I think all such babus are in Vidarbha and
they should be replaced,” Mr Tiwari said. (Asian Age 11/11/1`5)
Farmers' body threatens to launch stir against easing FDI (20)
New Delhi: The Left-backed farmers' body today criticised Centre for easing FDI in 15 key sectors,
including agriculture and plantations, and threatened to launch a nationwide protest if the NDA
Government persisted with the "retrograde" reforms. The All India Kisan Sabha (36 Canning Lane)
today claimed that the move will bring more "miseries" to peasantry while benefiting middlemen.
"AIKS strongly demands Centre to ensure foreign investors are kept out of agriculture, animal
husbandry and plantation sectors. Otherwise, the AIKS, along with likeminded organizations, will build
countrywide massive resistance movement to save peasantry and rural working class," the farmers'
wing of CPI(M) AIKS General Sand president Amra Ram said in a joint statement. The duo noted that
"this is a retrograde step that will bring more miseries to working class and peasantry, while benefiting
only certain affluent sections that will play the role of middlemen. This will intensify exploitation of
peasantry already facing severe distress under neo-liberal reforms." Mollah and Ram also countered
government's claims that the decision will help liberalise and simplify FDI policy to provide ease of
doing business resulting in growth in investment and employment. To prove their point, the body cited
example of reported economic, political and environmental dangers faced by Zimbabwe, Kenya,
Namibia, South Africa, Guatemala, Argentina and Brazil, which had taken similar decisions.
"Unregulated flow of foreign capital will spell doom to the peasantry and agricultural workers and keep
the domestic economy in doldrums," they said. The two further slammed the government for taking
the decision "which will have far reaching consequences" without holding discussion by the cabinet,
and underlined "Modi regime's authoritarian means of administration". .. (Business Standard
12/11/15)
Over 50 farm suicides reported in Mysuru (20)
Mysuru: As many as 50 farmers have committed suicide in Mysuru district till November 11. Most of
them were unable to repay their debts. Of the 50 farmer suicide cases, 32 are before the committees
constituted to look into the merit of each case for giving compensation. The committees have rejected
10 cases for different reasons and said that these farmers had not availed loans from nationalised or
co-operative societies. The committees approved 13 cases and recommended them for
compensation. Nine other farm suicide cases were accepted by the committees and they was waiting
for FSL reports for sanctioning of the compensation, said Somashekar, Deputy Director of Agriculture.
(The Hindu 17/11/15)
Farmers' Suicide: Minister Claims Rs 111 Cr Support (20)
BHUBANESWAR: In the face of growing criticism over the manner in which drought situation was
tackled, the State Government on Tuesday maintained that it has started the process of providing
financial aid to the affected farmers. Ahead of BJD’s massive rally of the farmers at Sohela in Bargarh
district on November 19, the Government announced that Rs111.13 crore has been sanctioned for
the 21 drought affected districts of the State. Bargarh has reported maximum number of farmers’
suicide this year. “The State Government has distributed Rs7.18 crore among the drought affected
farmers in 14 districts by November 16,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Bijoyshree
Routray said here. The Minister said affected farmers in seven other districts would get the subsidy
soon. Routray said the highest number of drought affected blocks is 17 in Mayurbhanj district,
followed by 14 in Balangir, 12 each in Bargarh and Kalahandi, 10 in Nabarangpur, 9 each in
Kandhamal, Keonjhar and Sambalpur districts. Crop loss was reported in over 5.23 lakh hecatre of
land of which 63,020 hectare sustained crop loss of more than 66 per cent. Inadequate rainfall has
affected 139 blocks where crop loss was more than 33 per cent. So far, nearly 100 farmers have
committed suicide allegedly due to debt burden and crop loss. Meanwhile, BJD MP from
Bhubaneswar Prasanna Patsani has put the Government in an embarrassing situation by demanding
a White Paper on the issue. “All the death cases have been linked to crop loss and loan burden. So a
White Paper can only clarify,” he said. Stating that some death cases are due to crop failure, Patsani
demanded an inquiry to ascertain the reasons behind the suicide. Patsani is the second party MP
after Nagendra Pradhan who has questioned the Government’s claim that crop loss and debt burden
were not the reasons behind the farmers’ suicide. (New Indian Express 18/11/15)
First Farmer Suicide in Sundargarh (20)
ROURKELA: The rain-fed Sundargarh district reported its first farmer suicide on Friday. Chhatan Ekka
(53) allegedly hanged himself to death at Kaparanda village of Bhalulata panchayat of Bisra block,
which is facing drought-like situation. His family members claimed he was under stress for repaying
the loan that he had taken for cultivation. His wife Jalo Ekka said he had woken up early on Friday
and gone out of the house. When he did not return for a long time, she searched for him only to find
Chhatan hanging from a tree in his agricultural land. His paddy crops on two acres of land were
damaged due to moisture-stress condition and standing paddy crops on the remaining 0.06 acres
were in a moderate condition. The farmer’s son Debashish told police that his father had taken loan
for cultivation and setting up an eatery. District Agriculture Officer for Panposh sub-division AK
Mangal said as per the documents available with the family members of the deceased, Chhatan had
taken a loan of `16,180 from Bhalulata LAMPS and `14,940 from SSK Micro Finance, in his wife’s
name, on November 9. Mangal said there was no pressure on the farmer for loan repayment and a
joint report based on the statements of agriculture, revenue, cooperative, medical and police officials
would be filed within 24 hours. Panposh sub-division has reported crop damage on 35,361 hectares
(ha) with Bisra block accounting for 3,291 ha. (New Indian Express 21/11/15)
Cotton Growers of W Odisha Too Losing Hope for Good Yield (20)
BALANGIR/NUAPADA:Even growers of cash crops, cotton in particular, have fallen victim to vagaries
of nature. Like paddy farmers, cotton growers have been hit by lack of sufficient irrigation water. The
suicide by cotton farmer Gurubaru Sahu (35) of Jamjuri village in Patnagarh sub-division of Balangir
district earlier this month has exposed the threat that the cash crop holds out to its growers this
season. With BT cotton offering greater profit and requiring less water, many farmers in waterparched areas in the districts of Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Bargarh switched over to growing
cotton. This season, though, the yield will be less due to moisture-stress condition. Even Agriculture
Department officials, who were hoping for good yield till a few months ago, are now pessimistic about
the yield. According to reports, Patnagarh Agriculture division comprising blocks of Patnagarh,
Belpara and Khaprakhol had targeted to grow cotton over 22,500 hectares (ha) of land. Apparently, all
of these blocks are water-stressed. Cotton was grown over 18,259 ha against 22,800 ha in the last
kharif season. Cotton coverage in Patnagarh block was 5783 ha while it was 6,631 ha in Belpara
block and 5,845 in Khaprakhol block. Normally, cotton yield touches 10 quintals per acre, but officials
said it will be reduced to two to 2.5 quintals per acre this time. In Nuapada block, a target was set to
cultivate cotton over 5,000 hectares but the crop was grown over 5,278 hectares. It was grown over
700 ha in Nuapada, 2.750 ha in Komna, 810 ha in Boden, 868 in Khariar and 150 ha in Sinapali block.
All these blocks are devoid of permanent irrigation system except in a few small pockets. Deficit
rainfall over the last few months has reduced the soil moisture, thereby affecting the cotton crop.
Bikram Biswal of Icchapur village in Komna block of the district said he had cultivated cotton over 14
acres which had yielded 120 quintals of cotton last season. Although he has grown the cotton over
the same area this season, he expects only 40 quintals. Similarly, Pandaba Ketki of the village had
grown cotton over three acres of land and had harvested 22 quintals of cotton. However, this season
he expects to harvest just seven quintals even though he has grown cotton over the same land area.
Deputy Director of Agriculture, Nuapada, Antaryami Mandal said scanty rainfall is having a bearing on
the bursting of the cotton bulbs which in turn, is affecting the yield. He admitted the condition would
cut down on the harvesting by 20 to 25 per cent. (New Indian Express 22/11/15)
‘Farmers suffered crop loss worth Rs. 22,000 cr. in 2 years’ (20)
BENGALURU: Expressing concern over farmers suffering cumulative crop losses to the tune of Rs.
22,000 crore in the last two years due to drought and untimely rain, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D.
Kumaraswamy on Wednesday alleged that both the State and Union governments failed to respond
to the plight of farmers. Participating in a debate in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Kumaraswamy
alleged that both the governments had released a meagre compensation of less than Rs. 2,000 crore.
Despite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writing to all Ministers asking them to visit the families of
farmers, who have committed suicide in their districts, not many bothered to do so. Citing the example
of Koppal district, he said district in-charge Minister Shivaraj S. Tangadagi had not visited the families
of a single farmer although 22 had committed suicide. He alleged that the crop insurance scheme had
failed to help and described it as “daylight robbery”. Insurance claim of only Rs. 8 crore had been
settled under the scheme in Dharwad district, though they had paid a premium of nearly Rs. 20 crore.
He also sought to debunk the claims of the government of providing succour to poor farmers through
cooperative loans, by pointing out that only 27 lakh farmers of 80 lakh farming families in the State
were members of the cooperatives. Even among members, only 20 lakh farmers had got cooperative
loans, forcing them to depend on moneylenders. (The Hindu 26/11/15)
Farmers’ suicide: norms on compensation simplified (20)
BENGALURU: Now, even farm labourers and farmers who have taken farmland on lease are entitled
for compensation in case of suicide due to agrarian crisis, as the State government has relaxed the
norms on payment of compensation. Announcing this in the Legislative Assembly during his reply to
the debate on drought, Minister of State for Agriculture C. Krishna Byre Gowda said the new norms
provide for payment of compensation in case of suicide by a farmer even if the land was not in his
name. It was enough if the land was in the name of any of the family members, he said. Later, the
Minister told The Hindu that the new norms would come into force with retrospective effect from April
1, 2015. This would mean that several cases of farmers’ suicides that had been rejected for payment
of compensation may now be eligible for relief. Of the total 530 cases of farmers’ suicides that had
been disposed of so far by the Agriculture Department, 292 had been accepted for payment of
compensation and about 230 had been rejected, he pointed out, and added that these figures were
now bound to change. (The Hindu 27/11/15)
34 farmers, farm hands committed suicide every day in 2014 (20)
New Delhi: 34 farmers and farm labourers committed suicide on an average every day in 2014, for
reasons including indebtedness and crop failure, reflecting the deepening agrarian distress in several
parts of the country. The number of people committing suicide in the farming community-- farmers
and agriculture labourers -- increased to 12,360 in 2014 from 11,772 the previous year, Parliament
was informed today. In 2012, the number of suicides committed by people whose profession was
mentioned as 'self employment-farming or agriculture' was 13,754. "According to the NCRB report of
2014, the major causes of suicides by farmers are: bankruptcy or indebtedness, farming related
issues (failure of crops, distress due to natural calamities, inability to sell produce), poverty, family
problems, illness and other causes," Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria said in a
written reply in the Lok Sabha. Quoting the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures Kundaria
said, 5,650 farmers and 6,710 agricultural labourers ended their lives in 2014. Earlier, NCRB was
reporting the suicide cases under the profession 'self employment -- farming/agriculture'. However for
2014, it delineated for the first time the number of suicides under two categories -- farmers and
agricultural labourers, the minister added. On whether the centre has taken corrective measures to
prevent farmers suicides, the minister said state governments are primarily responsible for the
development of the agriculture sector. The Centre considers agriculture and allied sectors as highly
critical for the welfare of farmers and supplements the efforts of the states through appropriate policy
support, schemes and budgetary support. Asked if funding to states for agriculture development has
failed to address the problems of farmers, the minister said the Centre has allocated Rs 9,453.76
crore to them under various agri-schemes for the 2015-16 fiscal. Several states including
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha frequently report suicide by distressed
farmers. (Zee News 1/12/15)
122 farmers killed selves in kharif season, says govt (20)
BHUBANESWAR: Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy on Wednesday said a total of 122 farmers
allegedly committed suicide in the last kharif season. "The collectors and superintendent of police
(SP) jointly inquired into each case. According to a preliminary report, it was found that no farmers
committed suicide due to crop loss or debt burden," said Maharathy. The minister, however, received
flak from the opposition parties for not mentioning the reasons for such a large number of farmers
committing suicides in the past three months. Criticizing the state government, Congress MLA Naba
Kishore Das said the state government is trying to conceal the facts behind the farmer suicides. "If the
state government claims that the deaths were not due to farm-related issues, why is it hesitating to
mention the reasons. If the farmer suicides were not due to debt-burden, why have a large number of
farmers suddenly committed suicides?" Das said. Stating the ministers reply as unfortunate, BJP MLA
Dilip Ray said, "Instead of tackling the situation by taking the opposition parties and the Centre into
confidence, the state government is trying to suppress the facts," he added. In the reply, Maharathy
said the highest numbers of farmers - 21- had committed suicide in Bargarh district. The number of
farmer deaths in other districts were 10 in Balangir, seven in Balasore, three in Bhadrak, nine in
Cuttack, six in Dhenkanal, three in Ganjam, six in Jajpur, two in Jharsuguda, five in Kalahandi, five in
Kendrapada, five in Keonjhar, two each in Khurda and Koraput, four in Mayurbhanj, five in
Nabarangapur, three in Nayagarh, five in Nuapada, four in Sambalpur, two in Sonepur and one each
in Boudh, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh and Deogarh districts. The maximum
farmers ended their lives in the month of October and November, the minister said in the reply.
Replying to another supplementary question, the agriculture minister said a total of 63,1495 hectares
of agricultural land in 173 blocks of 25 districts was affected by the drought in the last kharif season.
When asked, Maharathy refused to comment as to why the government did not mention the reasons
of farmer suicides in the reply. (Times of India 3/12/15)
Congress seeks power bill, loan waiver to farmers (20)
New Delhi: The prevailing drought situation in various parts of the country found mention in Lok
Sabha on Monday as several members raised concern on the matter with the Opposition Congress
demanding a waiver of bank loans and electricity bills for farmers as part of relief measures. Initiating
a debate over the issue of drought in the House, Jyotiraditya Scindia of the Congress said farmers
across the country are facing tough conditions and, therefore, their bank loans and electricity bills
should be waived off. “If you want to learn how to waive off debt, you should learn from our leader
Sonia Gandhi,” the Congress chief whip said, apparently referring to the 2008 decision of the
Congress-led UPA government to give agricultural debt waiver and debt relief worth Rs 70,000
crore.Observing that 50 per cent of the country has been hit by drought, Mr Scindia said that 18 states
witnessed poor to no rainfall this year. This is the second consecutive year when the country received
deficient monsoon, he added. Expressing dismay over the government’s policies, Mr Scindia said
high prices of food items, including pulses, coupled with low yield due to drought have broken the
back of the farmers. Targeting the government, the Congress leader said it is maintaining silence over
the sufferings of farmers like it did over the issue of “intolerance”. Countering this, agriculture minister
Radha Mohan Singh said, “We are not sleeping. we are at work.” To this Mr Scindia said, “There is a
saying in English that ‘there is many a slip between the cup and the lip’.” (Asian Age 8/12/15)
26 p.c. increase in farmers’ suicides in united AP: study (20)
VIJYAWADA: There has been an increase of 26 per cent in farmers’ suicide in the United Andhra
Pradesh, a book titled ‘Maarutnna Grameena Jeevanam—Oka Adhyayanam’ which was released
here on Wednesday by Acharya Nagarjuna University former Vice-Chancellor K. Viyanna Rao
suggests. The book is the outcome of a two-year survey conducted by the Sundaraiah Vignana
Kendram (SVK), Rythu, Agriculture coolie and Tenant farmers associations conducted across the
undivided Andhra Pradesh. About 500 enumerators went around 74 villages in the united AP to
gather information about agricultural scenario in the State. The study results were compiled by C.
Sambi Reddy, K. Veeraiah and Y. Siddhaiah. The book depicts rural life vis a vis agriculture in 11
selected villages from Guntur, Krishna, East and West Godavari, Vizianagaram, Prakasam,
Anantapur, Kadapa districts and Medak and Karimnagar districts in Telangana. Listing out the details
of study, MBVK Secretary P. Muralikrishna said that agriculture sector was in deep crisis as there was
a gross mismatch between production cost and remunerative prices. (The Hindu 10/12/15)
Advise farmers on crop choice: Bombay HC (20)
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday suggested that the government of Maharashtra should
start a campaign to advise farmers of Maharashtra what to grow in their fields so that they do not
suffer losses due to water deficiency caused by insufficient rains. “How can you have a single policy
for the whole of Maharashtra? Each district in the state is facing different problem so it is not
necessary that one policy across the state will be helpful for everybody,’’ said the division bench of
Justice N.H. Patil and Justice S.B. Shukre. The bench was hearing a suo motu public interest
litigation on the issue of farmers’ suicide in Maharashtra. “You have to change your approach,’’ the
bench said to the state government. The judges have advised the state to form advisory committees
of experts in all districts to advice farmers about what should be grown in their fields according to their
weather conditions. Also, according to the judges, if in the current situation farmers continue to grow
sugarcanes then Marathwada region will become a desert. ‘’Today people, including children in
Marathwada, walk upto five kilometers to fetch water and only after securing water for the day do they
begin with other works,’’ observed the bench. Apart from agricultural issues the bench also asked the
state to come up with policies to encourage children of farmers to take up education and stop
dropping out of schools. The bench has asked the government to keep the joint director of concerned
departments present who can later take decisions on the basis of these suggestions. The matter has
now been adjourned for further hearing on this petition on December 18. Earlier, the court also
suggested that government should come out with a disaster policy for farmers in case there is scanty
or no rainfall. It also suggested the state to consider having group insurance for farmers and provide
advice from the horticulture department regarding the pattern of crops that are ideal for their weather
and soil conditions. (Asian Age 11/12/15)
Farmers' suicides: AAP wants minister Tota Singh to resign (20)
BATHINDA: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the SAD-BJP government of not taking care of
families of small farmers who had committed suicides in the Malwa region's cotton belt due to crop
failure. The party said it would stand by the aggrieved families of farmers and farm labourers who had
ended their lives in Punjab due to crop failure or other reasons associated with agriculture. AAP also
accused Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and agriculture minister Tota Singh for the rise in
farm suicides in the past three months. The party claimed that spurious pesticides provided by the
state agriculture department turned out suicidal for cotton growers and gave rise to suicides when
pesticides miserably failed to control whitefly attack. AAP spokesperson and Punjab affairs in-charge
Sanjay Singh said in Bathinda on Friday, "Badal and Tota Singh are responsible for rising farm
suicides in the cotton belt as Oberon pesticide provided by the state government failed to control the
pest attack. Many of the cotton growers who suffered losses committed suicide." He said as many as
150 farmers committed suicide in Punjab in a year. Sanjay said, "We have decided to prepare a
database of families whose members have committed suicides. We demand resignation of Tota Singh
and will hold protests across the state on December 15. If he fails to resign, we will gherao (lay siege
to) his residence at Moga after December 15." Sanjay Singh and other AAP leaders visited the family
of a Mansa farmer who committed suicide on December 5. Meanwhile, SAD leader and Punjab rural
development minister Sikander Singh Maluka termed AAP plans as "political gimmick to reap political
benefits." He said, "CM Badal is making earnest efforts to get benefits for farmers and has
approached the prime minister for that." (Times of India 13/12/15)
Farmers' organisations oppose WTO conference at Nairobi (20)
Hassan: Members of a few farmers' organisations joined hands here on Tuesday to take out a rally in
protest against the ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) being held at
Nairobi. The conference plans to deliberate on the implementation of certain economic policies which
would be detrimental to farming community, the protesters alleged. The rally in which leaders of the
Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene and the
Karnataka Growers’ Federation participated, began at the Hemavati Statue Circle here and
culminated on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where they staged a dharna. The
protesters said that the economic policies introduced in recent years were all in favour of the
corporate sector at the cost of farmers. The Nairobi meeting was aimed at speeding up the
implementation of various anti-farmer policies. Successive governments had failed to address the
problems of farmers, who were reeling under crop and financial losses and committing suicides,
alleged the protesters. They submitted an appeal to the Deputy Commissioner. Their demands
included proper relief to farmers who were suffering losses owing to vagaries of weather and irregular
supply of power. Seeking continuous supply of power for at least 12 hours a day, the protesters
demanded that land be provided to landless farmers, agriculture loans be waived to prevent farmers
from committing suicide and salary of workers enrolled under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act be increased. They submitted a memorandum in this regard to Deputy
Commissioner K.M. Janaki. H.R. Naveen Kumar, district president of KPRS; B.S. Jayaram of the
Karnataka Growers’ Federation; and Kottur Srinivas, district president of KRRS, were among those
present. (The Hindu 16/12/15)
No farmer suicides in Chhattisgarh in 12 years: Minister (20)
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal drew sharp reactions from the
Opposition in the Assembly on Thursday when he claimed that not a single farmer had killed himself
due to agrarian reasons or mounting debts during the 12-year reign of the ruling Bhartiya Janata
Party. “Those who are talking of farmer suicides in Chhattisgarh are defaming the State. Chhattisgarh
has won the ‘Rashtriya Krishi Karman Award’ thrice for promoting agriculture. Every scheme of the
Raman Singh government is centered on farmers. Not a single farmer has committed suicide in the
State due to farm-related causes or government’s apathy in the last 12 years of the BJP rule. There
may be other reasons behind those suicides,” said Mr. Agrawal. He was speaking on the adjournment
motion moved by the Congress on the farmer suicides. Mr. Agrawal’s statement also belittled the
statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) earlier this year, which put
Chhattisgarh at fourth place among the States with highest farmer suicides — with 443 farmer
suicides in 2014. According to the NCRB, the State witnessed 4,701 farmer suicides between 2008
and 2010. But, Mr. Agrawal had been calling the NCRB numbers as “wrong and misleading” and
based on “faulty analysis.” The State has witnessed more than 30 farmer suicides in the last 50 days,
prompting the Opposition Congress to bring an adjournment motion on Thursday. However, the
Raman Singh government has been refusing to link the suicides to “farm-related causes or debt
burden.” State Congress president and Patan MLA Bhupesh Baghel claimed that more than 200
farmers killed themselves in Rajnandgaon district in the last 11 months. (The Hindu 18/12/15)
Maharashtra reports highest ever farmer suicides in 2015 (20)
NAGPUR: Last week, a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a Rs 10,512 crore
package for Maharashtra’s farmers while refusing to declare complete loan waiver, Vishal Pawar, a
farmer in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal district ended his life on Thursday. Pawar left a suicide note addressed
to the district’s guardian minister, Sanjay Rathod, in which he mentioned the burden of crop failure
and expressed his last wish — a loan waiver. Around 2,590 farmers across Mahrashtra have
committed suicide from January to October 2015 — the highest number of suicides since 2001. Data
of the last two months is yet to be compiled. In 2006, around 2,376 farmers ended their lives. Official
data obtained by The Hindu from 2001 to 2014 shows that over 17,276 farmers committed suicide
due to issues ranging from crop failure, inability to repay loans, over dependence on market forces
that mostly work in favour of traders. “There is a need to introduce sustainable agriculture in
Maharashtra. Money has to be pumped into the rural economy. Unless we do that, farmers will not
gain much needed confidence,” said Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), who was
recently roped in by the State government to head a mission to reduce farm distress. According to Mr.
Tiwari, who has been systematically documenting agrarian distress for several years, the government
needs to indulge in long-term relief instead of short term measures like loan waivers. While the state
opposition agrees that long-term measures are important, it wants the government to look in to short
term remedies as well. “We are not asking the government to not invest for future. But what about the
present situation? Loan waiver was one of the most important ways to give immediate relief to
farmers,” said Prithviraj Chavan, former Maharashtra Chief Minister. Mr. Fadnavis, however, has
always been against loan waivers saying it benefits banks and not farmers. The Chief Minister had
also informed the Assembly that the State had made the same allocation of Rs 10,512 crore last year
also. However, a close look at the package announced reveals that the government has given more
money to the schemes or relief work that was already in progress. The only new addition is the
allocation of Rs. 250 crore for the new farm pond scheme. In last three to four years, Maharashtra has
witnessed extreme weather conditions that have either destroyed crops or left them damaged.
Depleting production and monopoly of traders has hit returns and added to farmers’ debt. With banks
refraining from extending loans to farmers, many seek loans from private money lenders at exorbitant
rates of interest. According to Mr. Tiwari, apart from bringing money into agriculture through banks
and government schemes, health and education needs of the farmers should be taken care of.
“These are presently very expensive areas. Farmers can be supported if money is invested in these
sectors,” he said, adding that the previous government did not focus on this aspect. A government
official said that lack of supplementary sources of income other than farming has left farmers helpless
in times of crop failure. “Successive years of drought have posed a big question on cattle grazing,
which affected the capacities of these animals. It also impacts rural economy,” said the officer. The
Congress has claimed that the 2008 farm loan waiver, announced when they were in power, did
manage to curb farmer suicides and seven years later, the present government must replicate it. “It
could have given confidence to the farmer. The government lost on the opportunity,” said Mr. Chavan.
(The Hindu 21/12/5)
Rs 100 Crore More Subsidy for Drought-hit Farmers (20)
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Tuesday announced an additional input subsidy worth Rs
100 crore for farmers in drought-affected areas of the State. “As part of the drought assistance, the
State Government has already provided Rs 113 crore input subsidy to affected farmers. In view of the
demand for more input subsidy, the Government will provide additional Rs 100 crore out of its own
fund,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra told mediapersons here. Asked
if share coppers will benefit from this assistance, Mohapatra said the Government has already made it
clear that the aid will be extended to actual cultivators. Clarifying the confusion over Rs 380 crore
Central assistance approved by the high level committee (HLC) meeting chaired by Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, Mohapatra said the Natural Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) aid was
for Phailin. The HLC reviewed the decision in the case of Odisha and approved an assistance of Rs
380 crore as against Rs 399.83 crore demanded by the State. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had
written to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in November to sanction Rs 399.83 crore Phailin
assistance from NDRF which was pending due to an erroneous assessment. After the State
Government pointed out the error, the Union Home Ministry in September, 2014 informed that Rs
399.83 crore had been approved. The Centre sanctioned the pending amount on Monday. The SRC
further said the Centre has not released any drought assistance to the State yet. The Central team,
which visited the State recently, submitted its report to the Centre on December 19. The exact amount
of assistance will be known after the report is reviewed in two stages, Mohapatra said. In the first
stage, the report will be reviewed by the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) in a meeting to be presided by
the Union Agriculture Minister. “Most likely, I will be called to attend the meeting where the report of
the Central team will be discussed. The IMG will seek the opinion of the State Government on the
report of the Central team,” he said. After the IMG review, the report will be placed before the HLC for
a final decision, he said. The Government will submit its final report on crop damage by January 15 on
the basis of crop cutting report. There will be hardly any changes in the final report as the number of
affected blocks has remained same, the SRC said. The Government will issue a notification
mentioning the total number of blocks affected by drought in the State after obtaining the crop cutting
reports. Replying to a question on farmer suicide cases, Mohapatra said investigation into death of
122 farmers has been completed. The few cases of alleged suicide that were reported in the last
couple of days have been sent to the Home Department. (New Indian Express 23/12/15)
Farmer suicide: Second consecutive death in Chhattisgarh, state ranks fourth in country (20)
Raipur: On the day when Chhattisgarh chief minister inaugurated three-day long national Krishi Mela
on Saturday, yet another debt-ridden farmer committed suicide by hanging himself to death at
Premnagar area of Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district allegedly under pressure to pay off loan to bank.
This is the second consecutive death as another farmer at Abhanpur committed suicide on Friday,
reportedly due to crop failure and debt. Premanagar area has been recently declared drought-hit by
state government and is one among several tehsils in state with deficient rainfall in the Kharif season
this year. Body of deceased farmer Lalchand,30, was found hanging to the ceiling on Saturday at his
residence at Kotal village of Surajpur district in Surguja division. According to preliminary information,
Lalchand was under pressure to pay off Rs 53,399 to Central Bank of India and was receiving notices
from the bank. The crop failure and debt with notices had apparently triggered the farmer take
extreme step. Talking to TOI, Surajpur ASP Manisha Thakur said, "Lalchand was a farmer and has
committed suicide but the reason of extreme step is yet to be ascertained. Moreover, locals in Kotal
village said during police investigation that Lalchand was behaving very abnormal for last few days
and wasn't mentally sound for past few years." Sources said that a suicide note was recovered from
the spot that mentions that farmer had taken loan from bank to purchase borewell which he couldn't
pay off hence, committing suicide. Recently, Chhattisgarh has witnessed deaths of nearly 35 farmers
while state government despite declaring over 100 tehsils as drought hit and proposing relief package
of Rs 4000 crore, continue to deny farmer suicides due to crop failure or debt-ridden. Rather the
deaths are reasoned as caused due to personal or health issues. Pradeep Sharma, convener Krishak
Biradari, who is working at 500 villages with his team for farmers told TOI, "Main problem at regions
where suicides are occurring is social incoherence. As crops fail sudden pressure mounts of loan
accompanied with family stress. Family members start questioning about whys and hows of loans
which becomes major cause of suicide." Meanwhile, most important is to organize counselling for
distressed farmers and drought mitigation technique should be initiated under vocational training
provider for social and motivational upscale, this may give them alternatives, Sharma said.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh recently described the incidents of farmers' suicide as a
challenge saying that his government was making all efforts to provide relief to the farmers affected
by this year's drought situation. There may be many reasons such as debt, illness, crop failure and
strained family relations for farmers taking extreme step. But, these suicides are a challenge. One can
have two crops a year, but life is only once, he had said. According to the National Crime records
Bureau (NCRB), the state has witnessed 443 farmer suicides in 2014, which is fourth highest in the
country after Maharashtra, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin
Trivedi said that the opposition has been demanding that mere declaration of tehsils as drought-hit
won't suffice, state government needs to ensure that no bank notices are sent to these affected
regions that mounts pressure on farmers commit suicide. "With such situation, government should
waver off the loan taken by poor farmers as they lose life over petty loans that range between 30,000
to 1 lakh. So many suicides are an alarm call take necessary steps," Trivedi said. (Times of India
26/12/15)
No Meetings Held on Farmer Suicides, Reveals RTI (20)
BENGALURU: Though a series of farmers’ suicides have reported across the state this year, the state
agriculture minister seems to have turned a blind eye. As per information obtained through the Right
to Information Act, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda had not convened a single meeting so far
to discuss farmers’ suicide. Documents provided by the director of Agriculture Department states: “No
documents available in this regard at our office.” According to information from the department, so far,
over 700 farmers have committed suicide across the state. As many as 158 farmers killed themselves
in July alone. RTI activist Marilinga Gowda Malipatil, who got the information through RTI, told
Express, “If any meeting was conducted on the issue, the proceedings would have been recorded.
When they gave it in writing that they do not have any documents regarding meetings convened by
the minister, that means no meetings have not been conducted.” “I had clearly asked for information
on the meetings conducted by the agriculture minister on farmers suicides. But, they said they do not
have any document related the meetings,” he added. Reacting to this, minister Krishna Byregowda
told Express, “We have conducted many meetings across several departments. Even the Chief
Minister convened many meetings. But I don’t know whether the proceedings have been officially
recorded or not.” (New Indian Express 30/12/15)