Maharashtra has reported 135 cases of farmers’ suicide in the Aurangabad division during a short period of the first 58 days in 2015 due to successive natural calamities and scarcity situation.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria also said: “In the last three years i.e. 2012, 2013 and 2014, there were 662 cases of farmers’ suicide which were eligible for compensation of Rs 1 lakh as per policy of the state government.”

In reply to a separate question, Minister said that as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the number of suicides by persons self-employed in farming in 2012 and 2013 were 13,754 and 11,772 respectively.

“Government of Maharashtra has reported 135 cases of farmers’ suicides from January 1, 2015 to February 27, 2015 in the Aurangabad Division, due to successive natural calamities and scarcity situation,” Kundaria said.

The state government has informed that local level district authorities are conducting awareness programmes in the villages and disseminating information regarding various agriculture and other development schemes for farmers, the Minister said.

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