Thaindian News

Amravati (Maharashtra), May 22 (IANS) Three more farmers have committed suicide since Sunday, one of them Tuesday afternoon, taking this year’s toll so far to 334 in western Vidarbha only, a non-government organisation fighting for farmers’ rights said.

Debt-trapped cotton farmer Tulsiram Gandhi, 65, committed suicide by hanging himself in his house at village Sawala in Amaravati district, Kishor Tiwari, president of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, said.

“It is ironical that a progressive farmer like Gandhi committed suicide in the village that was in 2006 visited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who assured them of appropriate relief measures,” Tiwari said.

Gandhi’s recent crop loss put him in debt of over Rs.3 lakh. The owner of 25 acres of land, he was facing crop failure since 2009, Tiwari said.

Two other farmers — Nandu Rathode of Kana village in Yavatmal district and Prakash Gore of Dhamangoan (Bade) in Buldhana district — also committed suicide Sunday, taking the toll in 2012 to 334 in western Vidarbha, Tiwari claimed.

In view of water-scarcity situation in western Maharashtra, the central government released Rs.700 crore relief earlier this month. However, farmers have cried foul over the package, saying several districts have been left out of the relief scheme.

The toll of 334 does not include five districts of eastern Vidarbha, namely Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur. The figures of farmer suicides were not available from respective district collectorates and commissionerates despite repeated attempts.

“We have also been making efforts to get an official figure of farmer suicides from authorities, but have failed. However, we have been able to document 112 farmer suicides in the year 2012 in these five districts,” Tiwari said.