Nagpur : There seems to be a sudden increase in farmers’ suicide cases in Yavatmal district. Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), which keeps a watch on agrarian developments, claimed four cases of farmers’ suicide were reported on Wednesday and bodies were brought from different villages in the district to the Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College and Hospital by afternoon.

Kishore Tiwari of VJAS attributed this spurt in suicides to the failure of the government in addressing agrarian problems arising out of inadequate prices to main cash crop of cotton and measly relief aid being provided to them. Another cash crop of the region, soyabean, had been totally ruined, said Tiwari.

Mohan Jadhav , secretary of VJAS who had gone to the hospital at Yavatmal on Wednesday to get the body of farmer Bansi Rathod of Bodadi village of Gahatanji taluka in the district said this farmer killed himself by consuming poison. “While there at the morgue, I was shocked to find that three more bodies of farmers who had similarly committed suicide had been brought to the hospital for postmortem procedures, since morning,” said Jadhav. The other three were identified as Deorao Bhagwat of Sonegaon in Kalamb taluka, Prakash Kutarmare of Mohada in Kelapur and Tulsiram Rathod of Devnala in Kalamb taluka.

Tiwari said while Rs7,000 cr relief package was promised by the state, individual farmers were being given Rs4500 per head. “This is too small a relief amount. Farmers will not be able to overcome the huge losses they have incurred. Unless urgent steps like total loan waiver, fresh interest-free loans and food supplies and health care are arranged, the suicides will rise further. Already 62 farmers have died till date this year,” said Tiwari.

