BELAGAVI
The last seven months of 2015 has been dreadful period for the farming community in Karnataka, with as many as 71 farmers in the district ending their lives due to various agriculture-related reasons.
The suicide cases in the past seven months has been higher than the past five years combined, with 30 cases being registered between 2010 and 2014.
According to leader of farming communities, sugar factories are largely being blamed for the sharp rise in suicides as about 50% of farmers ended their lives as they could not get the cane supplied bills from the factories, while the other farmers who took the drastic step were other crop growers.
“Though there were some other reasons, all farmers who ended their lives were very poor financially, who entirely depended on the grown crop which dried due lack of availability of water,” farmer leader Moudgi told mediapersons.
The government's data revealed that 30 farmers had ended their lives from 2010 till the end of April 2015.
Since April, the farmers who ended their lives were in Athani (12), Bailhongal (9), Belagavi (8), Chikkodi (6), Gokak (4), Savadatti (11), Hukkeri (7), Khanapur (6) and Ramdurg (6) and Raibag (2).
Some farmer leaders alleged that harassment of farmers by moneylenders, including financial institutions, and not getting bills from the sugar factories in time, were the prime reasons for suicides.
In their report to the government, officials specified that a failure to get bills from sugar factories on time and alleged procedures of recovering loan were the main reason for the suicides.
Meanwhile, the government till date has issued released a compensation of Rs 1.6 crore at the rate of about Rs 5 lakh to each of the 34 farmer families, a senior official at the deputy commissioner’s office said.
Authorities are also engaged in creating awareness among farmers to prevent suicides and have asked them to approached the officials in case of any genuine financial difficulty or any harassment by moneylenders or banks.
