By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Tamil Nadu government on the issue of farmer suicide and terming it as humanitarian crisis and is painful to hear that farmers are committing suicide and the state government is remaining silent on the issue.

The court was hearing a PIL on the issue of farmer's suicide.

The court gave state government two weeks time to report on the steps taken by them to address the issue and appointed counsel Gopal Sankaranayanan as amicus curiae in the case.

During a brief hearing, the court also observed that, "It is the duty of the state to take care of its citizens and the situation of farmers are worrisome."

Farmers from Tamil Nadu have been on protest in the national capital for over a month demanding drought relief from the Centre.

The petitioners had earlier approached the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, where the court had demanded an affidavit from the government on the steps taken by them to prevent farmer suicides.

The court, however, refused to issue notice to Centre on the petition for now and said that first state needs to apprise it about the steps taken by it to stop farmers suicide in the state.

The bench also directed the state government not to consider the petition as one among others and utmost importance should be given to it.