NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Centre and Maharashtra government over reports that 639 farmers have committed suicide in the state between March and May this year due to crop failure and inability to repay their debts.

Issuing notices to the Union ministry of agriculture secretary and chief secretary of Maharashtra, NHRC has asked for details on status of implementation of the schemes for the farmers and relief to the aggrieved families.

“It is not the first time that such news has come to its notice. It has been receiving complaints regarding the deaths of farmers across the country, including Maharashtra,” NHRC observed.

“Farmers committing suicide in such large numbers is a serious matter as it involves the right to life. Their families also come under tremendous pressure due to sudden demise of an earning member,” it added.

It has further observed that in spite of the announcement of several schemes including crop insurance and loan waiver by the Central and state governments, the story of poor farmers generally remains the same.

The farmers are still choosing to end their lives, understandably, at times when they find it difficult to cope with the stress, financial crunch and social stigma due to crop failure. There is a need for the Central and state governments to see that the schemes announced by them are implemented in true spirit, to achieve the target so that such tragic deaths could be averted, the federal human rights body said.

According to the reports, a total of 639 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between March 1 and May 31, 2018.

The information had been provided by the state revenue minister in the state assembly in response to the questions of the opposition members. They had reportedly alleged that all the schemes of the government, including the loan waiver, compensation to farmers in case of loss of crops and minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural goods, had failed due to which the cases of farmer suicides have increased.

The reports suggest that in the last four years, as many as 13,000 farmers had ended life, of which 1,500 committed suicide in the last one year alone.

The state revenue minister had reportedly stated that according to the parameters set by the state government in October last year for declaration of drought, eight talukas of Yavatmal , Washim and Jalgaon districts were declared affected by medium intensity drought in April this year and the compensation along with other assistance was provided to the affected farmers.

It is further mentioned that on May 29, the Union government made amendments in the rules for declaration of drought-hit areas, based on the suggestions made by the states and accordingly the state revenue and forest departments made the changes on June 28, 2018.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said appropriate action will be taken to recover the mortgaged lands of the farmers from the respective lenders.

