Maharashtra: 685 farmers commit suicide in Marathwada region in 8 months

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Farmers in Marathwada, who have been facing heavy rains for last three years in a row and now the scanty rainfall this year are taking the extreme step of suicide, fed up with debt, infertility and depression.

Therefore, farmer suicides are not stopping in Marathwada. shockingly, as many as 685 farmers have committed suicide in Marathwada in the last eight months.

Official update statistics upto August 31 stated that averagely near about 3 farmers are committing suicides per day .

Especially, most suicides were reported in Beed district of state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde's home district which is known as drought prone where 186 farmers suicide cases reported in the last eight months followed by Osmanabad district 113, Nanded 110 , Aurangabad district 95, Parbhani district 58 ,Latur district 51, Jalna district 50 and Hingoli district 22.

During the beginning of this year heavy unseasonal rains and now in monsoon period scanty rainfall have caused huge losses to farmers in Marathwada.

Due to long dry spell in month of August this year Khariff crops were ruined at most of the areas in these districts and also water resources are empty till Tuesday resulting in fodder issue.

Due to the worry of how to repay the loan, the constant hassle from the bank, the demand from the lender for money and the worry of running the family as the financial situation deteriorates, the farmers are committing suicide.

865 farmers have committed suicide in the last eight months of this year.

The statistic further stated that out of the 865 suicide cases, 475 cases have been found eligible for compensation .

As per the rule , compensation has been given to next of kins of 433 deceased by the respective district administrations.

Meanwhile, claims in 97 cases were found ineligible following official inquiries made by the respective district administrations, and the remaining 113 cases are still pending for inquiries, the statistic added.

Meanwhile ,recently Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Sharad Pawar Group) state president Jayant Patil has put the government on edge due to the increasing number of farmer suicides in the state and said the state government has failed to prevent them. (UNI)