608 farmers committed suicide in Karimnagar in 14 yrs

As per the data collected by Society for Eradication of Rural Poverty, "608 farmers committed suicide in Karimnagar district on one pretext or the other from July 1998 till now," Joint Collector H Arun Kumar said here yesterday.

He said the farmers mostly committed suicide due to poverty and indebtedness.

Explaining the implementation of welfare programmes for the families of those farmers who committed suicide, Kumar said there were old age pensions through District Rural Development Agency and also training and jobs to those who are eligible, under the 'Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu' programme.

The motto of the government is to eliminate poverty and officials have been instructed to provide welfare schemes to the families of farmers who have ended their lives, he added.