485 farmers committed suicide in state this year: Minister

Nagpur, Nov 23 (UNI) A total of 485 debt-ridden farmers had committed suicide in the state between January and October this year, Minister for Revenue Narayan Rane told the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today.

In a written reply to Ramdas Kadam (Shiv Sena) and several others, Mr Rane said 142 suicides took place in Amravati Division, 84 in Nagpur, 98 in Aurangabad, 75 in Nashik and 86 in Pune divisions.

An amount of Rs 1,982.67 crore had been spent till October 31, 2007, out of the Rs 3,750 crore relief package for farmers in Vidarbha announced by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in July 2006, Mr Rane said.

An amount of Rs 2782.89 crore, including Rs 725.41 crore from the Centre and Rs 2,057.48 crore from the state's funds, had been released under the package, he said.

The amount spent includes Rs 824.99 crore on interest waiver on loans, Rs 995.69 crore on assured irrigation schemes, Rs 22.98 crore on micro irrigation schemes, Rs 53.02 crore on check dams, Rs 4.09 crore on extension services and agro-technique management, Rs 50.95 crore on seed distribution, Rs 20.15 crore on national horticulture mission programme, and Rs 10.80 crore on supplementary activities for farmers, he added.

UNI