Scrap GR on counselling centres for farmers: Cong to Maha govt

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan has demanded the withdrawal of a Government Resolution (GR) which announced that counselling centres would be opened for farmers in a bid to curb suicides among them.
Maharashtra government had on September 24 issued a GR that it would open counselling cells in 14 districts and extend them to taluka level with contractual employees.
Chavan warned that a state-wide stir would be launched if the state government fails to scrap the GR immediately.
"Farmers are trapped in a financial crisis arising out of crop failure and natural calamities. Farmers' suicides are escalating due to debt traps and the prevailing agrarian crisis," Chavan was quoted as having said in a release here.

"The state and central governments should immediately extend adequate funds for the debt-ridden farmers.
"But, instead of extending financial assistance, the state government prefers to dub them as psychotic and opts to open psychiatric centres to treat them," he charged.

Yavatmal-based NGO UMED recently conducted a survey in villages there and found that farmers' suicide is mainly due to mental depression.
The government has initially opened a counselling cell at the local level headed by Dr Prashant Chakrawar, who is associated with the NGO.
In the past, former MPCC president and sitting MLC Manikrao Thakre had rubbished the idea of psychological treatment of farmers.

Lok Sabha member Bhavana Gawali also supported Thakre, saying the very notion of mental depression being the reason for farmers' suicide was wrong and that such an opinion should be reviewed.