AURANGABAD: A total of 483 farmers have ended their life in the first six months of this year in Maharashtra's Marathwada region, including a high of 92 deaths in June, a state revenue department official said on Monday.
The number of deaths has seen a steady increase, starting with 62 in January, 74 in February, 78 in March, 89 in April, before a slight dip to 88 in May, and 92 in June, he added.
Beed district accounted for 128 of the 483 deaths, followed by 90 in Osmanabad and 89 in Nanded, as per a report from the revenue department covering Aurangabad division. Of the 92 deaths in June, Beed led with thirty, followed by Nanded with 24.
"Of the 483 cases, 304 were found to be eligible for ex-gratia, 112 cases are under inquiry while 67 have been found ineligible.
Only 10 families have so far got ex-gratia, which comprises cash aid of Rs 30,000 and Rs 70,000 kept as fixed deposit to be claimed in the future," the official explained.
Incidentally, Beed is the home district of state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde, though he was sworn in on July 2.
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