State Government scraps scheme meant to curb farmers’ suicides
   Date :06-Aug-2020

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Staff Reporter :
 
Maharashtra Government has scrapped Baliraja Chetana Abhiyan, a scheme meant for stopping farmers’ suicides in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha and Osmanabad district of Marathwada. Revenue and Forest Department of State Government issued a Government Resolution (GR) in this regard on Wednesday, citing the reason that ‘there was no decline in cases of farmers’ suicides and it was observed that the scheme was not effective.’ The scheme was started as a pilot project in the year 2015 by the erstwhile Government led by Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister.
 
It was decided that if the scheme was successful in these two districts, it would be implemented in other affected districts too. The scheme aimed at counselling and motivating the farmers, and also to provide monetary assistance to distressed farmers. In 2017, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) had prepared a report titled ‘Farmers’ Distress and Impact of Baliraja Chetana Abhiyan in Osmanabad District’.
 
TISS study had found that 78.9 per cent of beneficiary-farmers in Osmanabad district were ‘highly satisfied’ with the Baliraja Chetana Abhiyan, and that more than 90 per cent felt motivated and appreciated the support of State Government. In 2018, State Government had asked the Department of Economics and Statistics to study socio-economic impact of the scheme. By then, the Government had spent Rs 47 crore out of the allocation of Rs 60 crore to Yavatmal and Osmanabad districts.
 
Then, Relief and Rehabilitation Department had felt that the scheme had failed to yield desired results as far as stopping farmers’ suicides was concerned. As far as statistical details about farmers’ suicides in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha are concerned, the number of suicides have not registered decline. As per the data, Yavatmal had registered 238 suicides of farmers in the year 2012, followed by 231 in 2013, 266 in 2014, 386 in 2015, and 272 in 2016. In 2017, the district registered 242 suicides.
 
The number went up to 255 in 2018. In 2019, there were 288 farmers’ suicides in Yavatmal district. As per the data for the period between January and May 2020, as many as 100 farmers committed suicide in the district, which has earned the dubious distinction of being the ‘hotspot’ of farmers’ suicides since long.