Farmers who sought permission to kill self get their dues

The dues of seven farmers who sought permission to commit suicide have been cleared, an official said on Wednesday.

"We have disbursed the amounts and deposited them directly in their bank accounts," Wardha collector Ashutosh Sahil told IANS.

He said that the problems arose mainly because the district administration did not have the correct bank details of the seven farmers, but the entire issue has now been amicably resolved.

"We welcome the collector's prompt steps in the matter which has helped save the lives of these seven distressed farmers. We hope they take up other pending cases with similar seriousness before more lives are lost," said Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti President Kishore Tiwari.

The seven farmers, including three women, of Wadad village wrote to the authorities seeking 'permission' to commit suicide as they were not given the aid money since January.

The bemused district officials not only accepted the letter, but gave acknowledgement which was submitted to the collector office, with copies to high-ranking officials in Mumbai.

The farmers are: Kishore Ingale, Bhanudas Wadadkar, Pankaj Gawandi, Shankar Khadse, and the women - Kundabai Lonkar, Kamala Warhade and Vasanta Gingavkar.

Collector Sahil said that as per norms, these farmers have been disbursed an average of Rs.9,000-Rs.13,000 depending on the crop losses they suffered in the hailstorms last year.

Tiwari, however, pointed out that around Rs.300 crore amount is lying undisbursed within the Amravati division which should be cleared immediately to prevent more farmers from ending their lives.

In July so far, the number of farmland suicides in the states stands at 27 and activists fear the situation may worsen if the existing dry spell continues in the state.