610 suicide cases in 2019: Government

Mumbai: More than 12,000 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between 2015 and 2018, the Legislative Assembly was informed on Friday.

Out of the total 12,021 farmer suicides during the three-year period, 6,888 cases were found to be eligible for government aid after scrutiny by district-level committees, relief and rehabilitation minister Subhash Deshmukh told the Legislative Assembly in a written reply.

The highest number of farmer suicides was recorded in the year 2015 – 4,291.

Mr Deshmukh was replying to a question raised by senior Opposition legislators Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Dilip-Walse-Patil.

“Despite the implementation of the Shetakari Swalambi Mission Yojana, reports suggests that the water level in dams remain low, crops have failed, farmers remain indebted, fair prices are not being paid for farm produce. The failure to take drought relief measures resulted in 11,995 farmer suicides between January 2015 and December 2018. Are we right?,” the Opposition’s written question, originally in Marathi, read.

In his written reply, the minister said that 12,021 farmers have committed suicide, of which, 6,888 cases were found eligible to get the compensation.

Out of 6,888, the family members of 6,845 farmers have been given financial assistance of '1 lakh each by the government, Mr Deshmukh informed the Upper House.

He said that 610 farmers committed suicide between January and March this year.

“Out of the 610 cases, 192 cases were found to be eligible for financial assistance,” he said.

Mr Deshmukh told the House that families of 182 out of the 192 eligible cases had been provided with financial compensation

The relief and rehabilitation minister informed the Legislative Assembly that the remaining cases were being scrutinised for their eligibility to avail compensation.