HC asks govt to consider forming FDRC

The Madras High Court Bench here today disposed a PIL seeking to appoint a Farmers Debt Relief Commission (FDRC) for farmers who were suffering due to drought, with a direction to consider forming it like the one in Kerala for the same purpose.
Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice R Sudhakar, disposing the PIL, filed by State Agriculture and Horticulture Diploma Holders Association Secretary V Balakrishnan, said "We hope and trust that the Tamil Nadu government will consider the request of farmers and establish an FDRC as in Kerala".
The Government said the Thanjavur delta farmers were getting reliefs like the farmers in Kerala.

The judges said "We take the report of the Government on file. However the said report does not speak about the action taken by the government for providing the relief sought in the petition".
"The Government report stated that It was taking all possible efforts to implement two different crop insurance schemes - National Agricultural Insurance Scheme and weather based Crop Insurance Scheme - for the benefit of agriculturalists."
Further a Government Order stated that the Government had sanctioned Rs 3 lakh each to the families of nine farmers who committed suicide in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli districts.

The petitioner said farmers underwent agony due to crop failure. They were not able to pay back debts. If an FDRC was formed, their agony could be reduced. The State Government had failed to effectively implement insurance schemes.
In Kerala, farmer suicide rate had come down considerably as it acted promptly on various recommendations of the FDRC, including the declaration of entire Wayanad district as drought affected, the petitioner stated.