PM's package helps check suicides

The implementation of the Prime Minister's package and state government package in the last one year has brought down the suicides of farmers in the six districts of Vidarbha from 58 in January last year to nine in January this year, says the presentation of the state government which will be made to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be visiting the city on Friday for a one-day official tour. During his visit he will discuss and review the measures of the Maharashtra government to achieve the 4 per cent growth target for the farm sector envisaged in the 11th Five Year Plan.

Besides, reviewing the implementation of the Rs 3,750 crore package which Manmohan Singh announced last year will be high on his agenda after touring the suicide-prone six districts of Vidarbha.

The presentation claims there were in all 118 suicides in the six districts during January 2006. Of this, the state machinery found that 58 of the suicides were by farmers due to varied issues like crop failure, indebtedness among other reasons (eligible for Rs 1 lakh compensation from state government).

However, since implementation of the PM's package began in July last year, the number of suicides in these six districts fell to 99. But, only nine cases were found eligible for compensation.

This is despite relaxing the rule for giving compensation. Earlier, if a person who owned land committed suicide, then his family was compensated.

However now even if an immediate family member of the farmer (land owner) commits suicide, his family is entitled for compensation, said a senior official from the state government.

Under the Prime Minister¿s package Rs 712 crore was allocated for waiving off the interest on crop loans. But interest up to Rs 825 crore, was waived and this has benefited nearly 9.33 lakh farmers. Besides, this loan worth Rs 1,407 was rescheduled with two year moratorium on recovery of the loans.

This made the farmers eligible for bank loans again. Earlier, they did not get credit from bank because of their defaulter status and they were forced to turn to money-lenders. However, before the start of this kharif season as against the target to disburse Rs 1,858 crore of crop loans, loans amounting to Rs 1,674 crore was disbursed.

The waiver on interest, rescheduling of loans, providing fresh loans are all temporary measures and providing irrigation facilities is the only long-term solution.

In the Prime Minster's package it has been given due importance. Rs 2,177 crore have been allocated for irrigation projects with a target of bringing 1.59 lakh hectares under irrigation over the next three years.

Of this, the Maharashtra government had been able to utilise nearly one-third of the allocated amount of Rs 810 crore on irrigation projects, the official added.

Besides, the state government has also been able to meet the targets for distributing seeds at concessional rates, giving sprinklers and drip irrigation equipment to farmers among other measures, successfully, claimed the official.