NEW DELHI, FEB. 22-(PTI)
As many as 228 farmers in Vidarbha region of western Indian state of Maharashtra, which is facing drought this year, have committed suicide due to agrarian distress in ten month period ending January, Parliament was informed on Friday.
“228 farmers in the six identified suicide-prone districts of Vidarbha region committed suicide due to agrarian distress during the last ten months till January 31, 2013,” India’s Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, upper house of the Indian parliament. However, number of farmer suicide cases due to agrarian reasons in these areas have shown a decline from 346 in 2011 from 565 in 2006, he said.
In entire Maharashtra, total number of farmer suicides declined from 1,035 in 2006 to 485 in 2011. To a separate query on alleged corruption in implementing Prime Minister’s package announced for Vidarbha region, Pawar said the state government has issued detailed guidelines in December 2009 for selection of beneficiaries, who would be entitled for the rehabilitation package. (Source: Tecoya Trend)