Farmer suicides in Maharashtra: SC to examine the issue

The Supreme Court today decided to examine the issue of suicide deaths by debt-ridden farmers from drought-hit state of Maharashtra which witnessed a horrific incident of a 75-year-old tiller lighting his own funeral pyre in Vidharbha region last month.
"We wanted to take it up suo motu but now that a petition has been filed it will go before a special social justice bench," a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said.
The bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal issued notice to Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Maharashtra Government seeking their responses on the PIL filed by advocate Rakesh Uttamchandra Upadhyay.

The PIL seeking protection of fundamental rights of farmers has been filed in the wake of recent media reports on death of 75-year-old farmer Kashiram Bhagwan Indare, who prepared and lit his own funeral pyre in Vidharbha region.
"The pathetic plight of farmers has reached an alarming situation", the plea said, while seeking an immediate relief of Rs 25,000 per hectare of land from Maharashtra Government to the drought-hit farmer families along with a complete or reasonable waiver of crop loans to farmers.
"Direct Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Maharashtra government to grant immediate relief to the drought hit farmer families of Vidharbha and Marathwada Region by giving complete or a reasonable waiver of crop loans to farmers as the loan amount of individual farmer is very low.

"Provide them 100-day wage subsidy under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)," it said.