Nine farmers commit suicide in two days in Vidarbha

Nagpur, June 24 (UNI) Nine farmers reportedly belonging to deprived class and having marginal land holdings have allegedly committed suicide in Amravati and Yavatmal districts in Vidarbha during the last two days.

Yavatymal rural police said the farmers committed suicide by hanging themselves or consuming poison. The police stations concerned have also registered cases of suicides.

With these nine suicide cases, the suicide toll has risen to 583 since June last year, according to the data maintained by the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, working for the casue of farmers in Vidarbha.

Incidentally, the farmers committed suicides when Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna was on a two-day tour of Vidarbha on Thursday and yesterday to take stock of farmers' suicide cases and review the irrigation backlog in the region.

The debt-ridden farmers, most of them cotton growers, have been allegedly committing suicide as they are not in a position to repay the huge loans taken by them from banks and money-lenders.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also scheduled to visit the crisis-ridden Vidarbha region on June 30 and July 1, to review the situation.

Yesterday the farmers who committed suicide have been identified as - Satish Baban Katale of Tiwasa in Amravati district, Uttam Underaji Kapade of Chikhali Ramnath of Darwha taluka, Savitri Nanu Pawar of Mahlunsi and Ramdeo Rathod of Borhva in Digras taluka in Yavatmal district.

Those who committed suicide on Thursday have been identified as - Bharat Deoman Khobragade of Malkapur in Warud taluka of Amravati, Babab Mahadeo Kinhake of Amala in Kalamb taluka, Sudhakari Deorao Sargad of Kanha in Mahagaon taluka, Raju Namdeo Sakharkar of Dahegaon in Ghatanji and Kachru Ganapat Hatade of Pahaopal in Kelapur taluka in Yavatmal district.

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