Panaji, Jul 2 (IANS): After newly-appointed Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid tribute to former Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik on 'Krishi Din' and announced a 'suicide-free Maharashtra' mission, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar said on Friday that the mission will help remove the scars of farmers' suicide on Maharashtra.

Addressing a press conference here, Kesarkar said that Maharashtra celebrates Krishi Din every year on July 1 to mark the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik, who had revolutionised the agriculture sector.

"Many farmers commit suicide in Maharashtra, but nobody till date has taken it as a mission to stop farmers' suicide. Now we want to stop the cases of suicide and create a new Maharashtra," he said.

Kesarkar said that in Maharashtra, 49 per cent of the people live in rural areas, out of which 80 per cent are dependent on agriculture.

"So it is our duty to see that mechanisation of agricultural activities takes place, and we are committed to that. This is why I feel that our battle was not for us, but for the betterment of Maharashtra," he said.

"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is from Satara and is the son of a farmer. While paying his tribute to Vasantrao Naik, Shinde declared a mission to make Maharashtra suicide-free," Kesarkar said.

"We need to give solace to the people of Maharashtra, for which the Chief Minister has announced the 'suicide-free Maharashtra' mission. We want to provide relief to the farmers, which will not happen just by waiving their loans... They need a helping hand," Kesarkar said.