State saw 14,591 farmer suicides in 5 yrs: Minister

A total of 14,591 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between October 2014 and August 2019, while the Nagpur and Amravati revenue divisions in Vidarbha saw

A total of 14,591 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between October 2014 and August 2019, while the Nagpur and Amravati revenue divisions in Vidarbha saw 1,286 farmer suicides in 2019, state relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar told the legislative Council in written replies on Monday.

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“From October 2014 to August 2019, a total of 14,591 farmers have committed suicides, of which 5,430 cases were disqualified for any help, while inquiries in another 214 cases are pending,” Wadettiwar said, in a written reply to a starred question by Congress legislator Sharad Ranpise.

In his reply, he added a special package was given to six districts in Maharashtra where farmer suicides were reported in large numbers.

Amid the power struggle between political parties in October and November, Maharashtra recorded 242 farmer suicides in December 2019, while the eight districts in Marathwada revenue division recorded 102 suicides. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, which announced farm loan waiver upto ₹2 lakh in December 2019, came to power on November 28, 2019.

BJP MLC Parinay Fuke, too, had raised a starred question on unseasonal rain leading to crop losses, and suicides of farmers as they were held ineligible for the crop insurance scheme. Wadettiwar, in another written reply, said Vidarbha and Marathwada regions were worst-hit, owing to drought and subsequent unseasonal rain that led to crop losses. Nearly 70% of the kharif crop and large quantity of rabi crop, including wheat, tur, oranges, sweet lime, etc., have been destroyed. “Between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, 1,286 farmers committed suicide in the 11 districts of Nagpur and Amravati revenue divisions in Vidarbha region. Of them, 576 farmers were eligible, 448 farmers ineligible and 262 cases were kept pending [for crop insurance].”