MUMBAI: The spate of farmers’ suicides has continued unabated in Maharashtra with as many as 2,366 farmers committing suicide in the state in 10 months between January and October this year. The proportion comes to nearly 240 farmers in the state ending their lives every month and seven famers every day.
The highest number of farmers’ suicides has been reported in the Vidarbha region with 951 farmers ending their lives in the Amravati revenue division and 257 in Nagpur division.
Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Anil Patil informed the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday that apart from Amravati and Nagpur divisions, 877 farmers’ suicides were reported in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division (Marathwada), 254 in Nashik division (Khandesh) and 27 in Pune division (Western Maharashtra).
“The Maharashtra government has received a report that 2,366 farmers died by suicide from January to October this year. The state government gives Rs one lakh to the kin of farmers who die by suicide,” Patil said.
Maharashtra leader of opposition Vijay Wadettiwar has accused the state government of being apathetic towards farmers’ plight saying that the state was witnessing seven suicides daily on an average due to the nature’s vagaries and the Mahayuti government’s neglect.
“Nearly 37% of India’s farmers commit suicide in Maharashtra alone. Over 3,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state in one year from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, due to crop failure and mounting debts. Of them, 1,500 died from January till November 31. On an average, seven farmers are committing suicide in Maharashtra every day,” Wadettiwar had said while initiating the discussions on the farmers’ issues in the Vidhan Sabha in the ongoing winter session of the State Legislature.
He also demanded a complete loan waiver to the farmers and declaring the entire state drought-hit to bring immediate help to the farmers who are devastated by the unseasonal rains in the last couple of months.
