Replying to a question, the Maharashtra government disclosed on Saturday that 639 farmers had committed suicide in the state between March and May this year due to crop failure, debt and other reasons.
Replying to Congress leader Dhananjay Munde and other Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) members in the Legislative Council in Nagpur, state revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said that 188 farmers among the deceased 639 farmers’ applications were approved for compensation under government schemes, and 174 farmers had already received compensation. Patil said that the compensation plea for 122 were rejected while 329 cases were yet to be examined.
Munde slammed the government for its failure to provide compensation for crop loss, and crops loans to farmers. The opposition leader also accused the government of failing to achieve success in its loan waiver, minimum support price (MSP) schemes.
He further alleged that around 13,000 farmers had killed themselves due to poverty in the past four years while 1,500 farmers ended their lives in last one year alone.
However, Patil said that the affected farmers had received compensation on time and other assistance as per the government rule. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government will take firm action against the lenders who did not return the mortgaged lands to farmers.
