Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government in the Legislative Assembly revealed a distressing reality on Tuesday, admitting that more than 6,000 farmers have tragically committed suicide in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions over the past three years, spanning from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.
The alarming number of suicides highlights the acute agrarian distress prevailing in these backward regions, shedding light on various contributing factors such as mounting debts, lack of proper irrigation facilities, and fluctuations in income, among others.
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According to Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Anil Patil, 4,000 farmers took their own lives in Vidarbha during the mentioned period, with the highest number of suicides recorded in the Amravati division (3,452), followed by 957 in the Nagpur division. Additionally, Marathwada saw 2,000 farmers succumbing to the distressing fate of suicide during the same time frame.
The Minister revealed that investigations pointed to financial struggles as a major driver behind the grim suicide statistics. A significant number of farmers were unable to repay loans they had availed from banks and other financial institutions, pushing them to take the extreme step. In particular, 1,404 farmers in Amravati district and 317 in Nagpur district were among the victims of such financial woes.
The Aurangabad Divisional Commissioner’s report on the suicides recommended discontinuing certain welfare schemes and instead offering Rs 10,000 per acre compensation to farmers in case of crop failures, inspired by a model implemented by the Telangana Government. However, the implementation of these recommendations proved challenging. The Central Government is already providing Rs 6,000 per year directly into farmers’ bank accounts under the Prime Minister’s Farmers Welfare Scheme, while the State Government offers an equal amount per year under the Namo Kisan Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi, with a budget allocation of Rs 6,060 crore for this purpose.
Several MLAs, including Kunal Patil from Dhule, Sulabha Khodke from Amravati, Amin Patel from Mumbadevi, and Vinod Nikole from Dahanu, raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly. They sought answers on the factors contributing to the unrelenting farm suicides in these regions and inquired about the government’s efforts to address the crisis. Questions were raised about the adequacy of irrigation facilities, income fluctuations, and the failure to provide minimum support prices, which are all pivotal to the farmers’ livelihoods.
