BENGALURU: A whopping 251 farmers have died by suicide in Karnataka since April, mainly due to harassment by moneylenders and banks. What forced them to take the extreme step was they were unable to repay their loans due to crop loss because of poor monsoon.
While taking serious note of the crisis faced by farmers across the state at a review meeting here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed the deputy commissioners and CEOs of zilla panchayats to act against the moneylenders who troubled farmers. He also directed them to pay compensation to the families of dead farmers once the government releases a list of drought-hit taluks. The list is expected to be released soon.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that only 174 cases had been resolved and ordered the officials to take steps to distribute compensation to the rest of the families of farmers who died by suicide, at the earliest.
While Siddaramaiah only mentioned the number of suicide cases this year, it was the Chief Minister’s Office that confirmed 251 such cases since April. This is the first time that an official figure is coming out on farmer suicides after the Congress came to power in May.
According to a study conducted by the University of Mysore, in 2019, about 11,000 farmers died by suicide since 1996. While nature’s vagaries played havoc with crops, the farmers fell prey to high interest rates heaped upon them by moneylenders, forcing them into a debt trap, from which they see no way out.
The CM, stressing on avoiding delay in works, said applications coming to offices of tahsildars, sub-divisional officers and deputy commissioners have been pending for more than five years in many offices. “If the case is not settled even after these many years, it means officials are not working properly,” he said, pointing out that justice delayed is justice denied, and longer the delay, more scope for corruption. “Delay is also corruption,” he added.
He said tahsildars should dispose of applications within three months, whereas settlement of appeals coming to the sub-divisional officers should be resolved within six months. DCs should resolve cases within one year.
‘Hold meets to disburse compensation’
Siddaramaiah said DCs should not unnecessarily adjourn the cases and keep the parties waiting or delay in giving the judgment after hearing the arguments. “Our government will not tolerate any delays in clearing such cases, and will take strict action” the CM warned.
The CM also instructed them to invite ministers and MLAs and hold taluk-level public meetings once a week and respond to the grievances of the people. “If you had done your work, why would people come to me with their appeals? I have visited many districts after becoming chief minister. People are coming to me with problems that need to be solved at the district and taluk levels. This would not have happened if you had held public meetings locally and provided solutions to them instantly,” he said.
Referring to the health department, the CM said doctors were not available and para-medical personnel were doing the duties of doctors, writing prescriptions for patients, which should not happen. “Doctors should remain in headquarters and respond to the problems of the people,” he said. He reminded the officials that there was no concept of ‘work from home’ in the government sector.