Of 2,851 farmer suicides in 2023, ex-gratia benefits given in 1,494 cases, 746 ineligible: Maharashtra to HC

A division bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and RM Joshi in its April 24 order noted that HC had initiated suo motu (on its own) PIL with the objective to “ensure that the tendency to commit suicide amongst drought-hit farmers be addressed immediately with utmost sensitivity” by the state and central governments.

The court added that a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arun R Pednekar in February, had taken cognisance of a news report related to the plight of farmers from Marathwada and Vidarbha region. “This court desired that the precious lives of these farmers had to be taken care of,” HC noted.
The court had directed the state and Centre to file their affidavits giving exact figures of suicides in Maharashtra, and details of schemes being implemented to address the issue.

It had also asked authorities to provide a study, if conducted by them into the causes and cures of the problem and further steps to be taken “so that the distress and other ills faced by a large population of State of Maharashtra can be mitigated and the grief stricken generation may be saved from ever occurring streak of suicides.

“The state government, in its affidavit further submitted that over the last two years (2022 and 2023), Rs 15245.76 crore were sanctioned as relief to nearly 1.54 crore farmers with a total area of 1.20 crore hectares affected by crop loss due to natural calamities.

The government said it has restructured ‘Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swawlamban Mission’ to implement various schemes of different departments initiated to prevent farmer suicides and assist families of deceased farmers in Maharashtra. The state government claimed that of the 20, 200 cases of farmer suicides since the scheme was initiated in 2015 till 2023, assistance has been given to families of 13,100 deceased farmers, while 6,280 cases were ineligible for the same.

The affidavit stated that under Mahatma Jotirao Phule Shetkari Karj Mukti Yojna of 2019, over 12 lakh farmers in Marathwada were extended benefits of Rs 7,411 crore, while over 8 lakh beneficiaries from Vidarbha region received benefits of Rs 5,395 crore from the state government.

It added that under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, compensation of Rs 26, 261 crore in total had been paid during the period of 2016-17 to 2023-24 to nearly 4.67 crore beneficiaries.

The Centre also enumerated various schemes initiated by it to address the plight of farmers and measures taken in that regard.

Advocate Devdatt P Palodkar, appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist the court in the matter pointed out that the divisional commissioner had submitted to the government his report along with a survey report of eight district collectors from Marathwada region related to farmers affected by chronic drought-like situation. The bench asked Government Pleader A B Girase to produce the same before it during the next date of hearing on June 20.