Four more Vidarbha farmers commit suicide-Hindustan Times

Four more Vidarbha farmers commit suicide

Pradip Kumar Maitra pradipmaitra@hindustantimes.com

Agrarian crisis continued to be the cause of farm- ers' suicide in Vidarbha with four more taking the extreme step in the last 48 hours in the region.

The victims, each belonging to Buldhana, Yavatmal, Washim and Akola, ended their lives by swallowing pesticide. They deceased have been identified as: Dadarao Hirpurkar (43) of Shindi village in Akola, Nilesh Kolhe (27), Kamargaon (Washim), Shankar Mangam of Telapur (Yavatmal) and Vilas Bhonde (35) of Masla in Buldhana district.

Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti claimed that as many as 28 farmers from the region killed themselves this month while the figure was 59 last month.

Tiwari said that a sizeable number of farmers are unable to face the burden of mounting debts from banks as well from private moneylenders. The farmers are unable to repay the amount this season because of crop failure.

“Farmers are thoroughly depressed that whether they would get fresh loans in the coming season being default- ers,“ he said and expressed apprehension that such a debt burden may drive more farm- ers to take drastic steps.

He demanded that the gov- ernment should make it clear that farmers would be given fresh loans and other help who are facing crisis because of crop failure.

“The government should also come out with food security package for the distressed farm- ers,“ he added.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Sanjay Deshmukh, district col- lector of Yavatmal, admitted that farmers' suicide figure in the district is more higher than the figure of last year. “We are taking all necessary measures to minimise farm suicide,“ Tiwari said.