From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 13: With more and more farmers resorting to suicides over the mounting indebtedness, the State Congress party has urged the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to defer repayment of crop loans borrowed by farmers from nationalised commercial banks and Government run cooperatives by one year.
The deferment of repayment of the farm loans is necessary as indebtedness is one of the major factors for farmers’ suicides and the agrarian crisis in the State, KPCC President Dr G Parameshwara said.
Dr Parameshwara also asked to the State Government to crack down money lenders, who charge exorbitant rate of interest, which was a major cause of distress among the farming community.
32 suicides so far in July:
Out of 106 farmers, who committed suicides, 68 of them ended their lives in April, May, June and July months.
A total of 32 farmers ended their lives in the month of July so far, he said.
Deferring repayment of loans by one year would prevent farmers from taking extreme steps.
The KPCC chief suggested to the Stare Government to file criminal and murder cases against money lenders and harass famers for delaying the repayment.
The cooperatives have disbursed crop loans of Rs 1552 crore at the cheaper rate of interest during the last four months, he said.
Dr Parameshwara also asked all district in-charge ministers to visit houses of families of the farmers, who had committed suicides and console the families.
He also directed District Congress Committee presidents to prepare reports on farmers’ suicides of their respective districts and submit to the KPSC as early as possible.
Besides, sugarcane growers, sericulturists from the State too had committed suicide owing to crash in prices of raw silk, he said.
AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi would not visit the State in the near future, Dr Parameshwara said.
However, Rahul Gandhi had entrusted the State Government to effectively deal with the task of handling the spate of suicides by farmers in a humanitarian manner and respond positively, the KPCC chief said.