Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 13: Karnataka, which is grappling with the problem of farmer suicides at an unprecedented scale since the last some months, has accounted for 1,002 farmer deaths during the last ten months. Suicide by farmers, who are frustrated by the lopsided economics of agriculture and non-realization of economically viable prices for the crops grown, has been continuing even though the government has initiated several steps to stop these suicides.

It is being claimed that never in the history of Karnataka has farmer suicides crossed a thousand mark. Sources in the department of agriculture, however say that out of the farmer suicides reported, 360 alone have been admitted so far, and compensation at the rate of Rs 5 lac per family stands disbursed in 354 such cases. "275 cases were rejected for different reasons, while the balance 367 cases are being processed," the department added.

Mandya with 96 farmer suicides, tops the list, while Haveri, Belagavi, Mysuru and Tumakuru districts have been listed from No 2 to 5, accounting for 84, 76, 64, and 59 deaths respectively. Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts form the tail end of the list with five suicides each. 280 of these farmers had heavy borrowings from nationalized banks, 197 had raised loans from regional Grameena banks, and 141 from cooperative societies. Mounting liabilities towards private financial firms and personal borrowings compelled 48 and 129 farmers respectively to kill themselves.

Cotton and sugarcane growers account for most of the deaths, with figures of 114 and 110 deaths respectively, followed by paddy and maize which accounted for 91 and 90 deaths in that order. Highest farmer suicides occurred between August and October, it is learnt. The government claims that steps like distribution of pamphlets against ending lives, and requests made over public address systems in villages appealing them against committing suicides worked to bring down the average deaths after October.

Secretary in the department of agriculture, Manjunath Prasad, said that there was sharp increase in the number of suicides this year because of crop failure in both khariff and Rabi seasons.