Set up JPC on farmers suicides, Advani

Nagpur, Apr 21: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani today wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into the large-scale suicides of farmers in various states.

Mr Advani, who is in the city on his 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra' said he had observed during the yatra that most of the cases of farmers's suicides were due to indebtedness and collapse in the prices of farm produce. However, the administration was reluctant to register the suicides cases, he added.

It was a shocking report he received that the farmers had committed suicides not only in Maharashtra, but also in Andhra Pradesh Kerala and even in Punjab, he said.

About 4,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh, 1,000 in Maharashtra and 150 in Kerala, engaged in cotton, sugarcane, grapes, ground-nut, soya-growing and other categories, have reportedly committed suicide, he added.

Mr Advani said it should be the collective endeavour of the centre and state governments to ensure that not a single farmer was forced to commit suicide due to occupational distress.

He hoped the Prime Minister and his government would readily accept the idea of setting up a JPC during the budget session of Parliament to be held on May 10.

UNI