NASHIK: The efforts of the task force constituted by the district administration to prevent farmer suicides are succeeding. In the last four months, eight farmers have committed suicide in the district. There is a reassuring picture that the number of farmer suicides in the district has declined steadily this year as compared to last year.
In 2019, 69 farmers had committed suicide. In 2020, at least 38 farmers had committed suicide. The district administration has constituted a task force to prevent farmer suicides through which farmers are provided counselling. Efforts of the administration to prevent farmers from taking extreme step are bearing fruit.
For the last few years, farmers have been affected by natural calamities, financial problems, persistent land infertility, drought, excess rainfall, unavailability of guaranteed price for agricultural commodities, indebtedness etc. As a result, the number of farmer suicides was on the rise. In the year 2018, 108 farmers had committed suicide in the district, while in the year 2019, 69 farmers lost their lives due to various reasons.
Central and state governments have been taking measures to stop this cycle. Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, a grant of Rs. 6,000 per annum is credited into the account of the farmers in behalf of the central government. Also, the disbursement of loans from banks for kharif and rabi seasons was increased.
On the other hand, the state government has constituted a task force to prevent farmer suicides. Through this, farmers are counselled and prevented from committing suicide. As a result of all this, the administration has succeeded in preventing farmer suicides. It has also received satisfactory rainfall in the last two years. So the severity of the drought was not felt.
The positive result of all these factors is that the number of farmer suicides has dropped this year so far despite COVID-19 pandemic as compared to last year. In 2020, 38 farmers committed suicide. Out of these, 22 farmer suicide cases were eligible for government assistance and their families were provided financial assistance.
In the meantime, this year so far, in Baglan 2, Dindori, Malegaon and Surgana one each and in Niphad three farmers committed suicide. The district administration, which has been dealing with the Corona crisis, has got some relief.
Two farmers eligible for claims
Two out of eight farmer suicide claims are eligible for assistance. Two claims have been rejected. The remaining four claims are pending. Rs one lakh financial assistance will be provided by the government to the families of the deceased farmers who are eligible for claims.