Blaming state govt for leaving him in debt, Kerala farmer dies by suicide

Police recovered his “suicide note”, in which he said banks were denying him loans citing a pending “PRS loan”, which the government had not paid off.

A paddy receipt sheet, or PRS, is issued to farmers after the state government agency, Supplyco, procures paddy from them. Farmers can then use the PRS to avail bank loans equivalent to the price of the procured paddy. The state government is then supposed to pay the bank and close the loan.

“Now banks are denying me loans on the grounds that I have a PRS loan. I had availed a PRS loan towards the cost of the paddy I had supplied to the government. The government is responsible for repaying the PRS loan along with the interest. Hence, the government is responsible for my death,” the suspected suicide note said.

Before his death, Prasad had also sent a voice message to a friend, in which he blamed the government for not repaying the loan, and said: “I have lost. I am a failed farmer. Now I am a farmer with debt.”

Kerala Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil told reporters in New Delhi that he would comment on the issue after looking into the matter.

The incident has caused a political storm in Kerala.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged that the state government failed in paddy procurement and that payments for farmers have been due for months.

“Even in his suicide note, Prasad registered his protest against the government,” the Congress leader said, and warned that there would be more such cases in the state if authorities don’t change their approach.

After visiting a hospital in Thiruvalla, where the mortal remains of the farmer were kept, BJP state chief K Surendran accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of being responsible for Prasad’s death.

“The state government’s anti-farmer policies were the reason for his suicide,” he alleged.

Governor Arif Muhammed Khan also visited the Thiruvalla hospital. He said he would take up farmers’ issues with the state and central governments.

Earlier in the day, he had criticised the state government, saying, “They are spending money on celebrations. If the poor farmer… is not the priority of the government, what can I say? The people of the state will take notice of it.”

– with PTI input