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Government Efforts to Curb Farmer Suicides

The document discusses farmer suicides in India and steps the government has taken to address the issue. It notes that farmer suicides have been a major problem, with over 18,000 cases recorded in 2004 alone. Some of the key reasons identified for the high suicide rates include crop failure due to drought or floods, high debt, poor government policies, and lack of irrigation. In response, the government has implemented various relief packages since 2006 that have provided debt waivers, subsidized interest rates, and other financial assistance. However, despite these efforts, farmer suicides continue to be a serious problem that requires further action from the government to fully address the underlying challenges faced by Indian farmers.

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Manoz Thapa Kaji
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101 views3 pages

Government Efforts to Curb Farmer Suicides

The document discusses farmer suicides in India and steps the government has taken to address the issue. It notes that farmer suicides have been a major problem, with over 18,000 cases recorded in 2004 alone. Some of the key reasons identified for the high suicide rates include crop failure due to drought or floods, high debt, poor government policies, and lack of irrigation. In response, the government has implemented various relief packages since 2006 that have provided debt waivers, subsidized interest rates, and other financial assistance. However, despite these efforts, farmer suicides continue to be a serious problem that requires further action from the government to fully address the underlying challenges faced by Indian farmers.

Uploaded by

Manoz Thapa Kaji
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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n India, many cases of farmer suicides occur every year.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau,


cases of farmer suicides recorded in 2004 were 18,241 - which till date was the highest number recorded in
one year. Statistics show that 11.2% of suicides in the country are committed by farmers. Many reasons
such as dry and flood, high debt, unfavorable government policies, public mental health problems and
poor irrigation facilities etc. are considered responsible for the increasing number of cases of suicides in
India. This matter is serious and the government is working to control this problem.
Government initiatives to stop farmer suicides
Here are some of the steps taken by the Government of India to help farmers in crisis and prevent suicides:
Relief package 2006
In the year 2006, the Government of India identified 31 districts in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and
Andhra Pradesh and presented a unique rehabilitation package to reduce the problem of farmers. Farmers'
suicides in these states are at a high rate.
Maharashtra Bill 2008
The Maharashtra government passed the Money Lending (Regulation) Act, 2008 to regulate private lending
to farmers. It determines the maximum interest rate on loans given by private lenders to farmers, because
the lending rate set by the Reserve Bank of India is slightly higher.
Agricultural debt relief and debt relief scheme
The Government of India started the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme in 2008, which has
benefited more than 30.6 million farmers. Under this scheme, a total of 653 billion rupees had been spent
to stop the outstanding loan principal and share of interest by the farmers.
Maharashtra Relief Package 2010
The Maharashtra Government made illegal licenses for illegal repayment of loans in 2010. Farmers were
entitled to many other benefits under this package.
Kerala Relief Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012 for farmers
In 2012 Kerala had revised the Debt Relief Commission Act 2006 of the farmers of Kerala to provide loans
to distressed farmers through 2011.
Income Source Package Diversity 2013
The government has introduced this package for farmer-suicide prone areas like Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
States initiatives
Many state governments in India have made special efforts to stop farmer suicides. Groups have been
dedicated to help farmers in crisis and have raised money to provide monetary support.
Recently, Modi Government has taken steps to tackle the issue of farmers' suicides in India. The
government has cut Monsanto's royalties by 70%. Farmers have given relief in input subsidy and Prime
Minister Crop Insurance Scheme (crop insurance for farmers) and Prime Minister Krishi Irrigation Scheme
have been launched. The Government is also issuing Soil Health Cards, which include the cropwise
recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers to help farmers increase agricultural productivity.
Conclusion
Farmer's suicide is a serious issue, though the government has initiated several types of packages to help
the farmers in crisis, but farmers have not been able to completely eliminate suicidal cases. It is the right
time that the Government of India recognizes the sensitivity of this issue and works towards it, which will
end this problem soon.

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