SC issues notices to check suicides by farmers

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra on a PIL seeking directions to the respondents to take urgent steps to check recurrence of the increasing incidents of suicide by farmers in the country.

The petitioner, Sanjiv Bhatnagar, appearing in person, told the court that 8927 farmers have committed suicide in the country as the government has failed to take care of their interests and they have not got adequate return for their agricultural produce.

According to the petitioner, as per data released by Union Agriculture ministry, 5910 farmers had taken the extreme step in Karnataka during the last five years, 1835 in Andhra Pradesh, 981 in Maharashtraand 201 in Kerala.

The petitioner had also sought directions to the government to urgently review the existing agriculture policy to ensure that the farmers are adequately paid for their hard labour and are not forced to take the step to escape humilitation and torture at the hands of private money-lenders and financial institutions.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, justices C K Thakkaer and Markandey Katju issued notices after hearing the petitioner who contended that in a country where 70 per cent population depends on agriculture, it is most unfortunate that farmers were being forced to take this extreme step due to the debt-trap they find themselves helpless .

The petitioner, an advocate, also contended that despite the grave concern having been expressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, nothing has improved and the incidents of suicide by farmers have assumed an alarming proportion.

The petitioner has also prayed to the court to issue directions to the respondents to constitute an experts committee to investigate the basic reasons and lapses in the implementation of the existing agriculture policy for the welfare of the farmers in the country and also to suggest the ways to streamline the agriculture policy so that the cultivators in the country are not driven to take the extreme step.

UNI AKS SC SY DS1401