Data collection on farmers' suicide underway: Minister

Palakkad, Oct 21 (UNI) Kerala Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran today said the government is preparing a data of farmers who committed suicide during the last five years due to agriculture debts.

Speaking at the All India Kisan Sabha Kerala Council meeting here, he said according to the reports available to the government, about 900 farmers had committed suicide.

Mr Ratnakaran said a clear picture in this regard would be available by the end of this month.

He said the Debt Relief Commission Bill would be presented in the ongoing session of the Assembly and added that it would be passed in the next session.

To save the farmers from the clutches of private money lenders the government would initiate alternative financial arrangement for loans.

The government had noted that some officials were issuing revenue recovery orders to the farmers, though it had decided to write off loans, he said and added that the issue would be looked into.

UNI AR SSC KP1912