217 farmers committed suicide in Karnataka during 2006

A total of 217 farmers committed suicide in Karnataka during the year 2006.

Disclosing this in the Legislative Assembly, Karnataka’s Minister for Agriculture Bandeppa Kashempur said the maximum number of cases had been reported from the border district Belgaum, where 23 farmers had ended their lives followed by Hassan and Chickmagalur district with 21 and 19 respectively.

He said the Government had already paid compensation of Rs 100,000 to the next of kin of 99 farmers. A Committee set up to look into the claims of compensation from the families of the remaining farmers, who had committed suicide, had sought more information in respect of 47 cases for awarding compensation. The Committee had rejected 71 claims for compensation, he added.

Apart from the compensation of 100,000, the Karnataka Government was also providing Rs 10,000 for the education and medical expenses of the deceased farmer’s family from an amount of Rs 5 million released through Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

Kashempur said the Government was planning to double the compensation for the next of kin of the farmers, who had committed suicide, from the existing 100,000 to 200,000 from the next financial year. The Federal Government too has been sounded in this regard, he said.

Apart from Belgaum, Hassan and Chikmagalur districts, farmers’ suicides had also been reported from Shimoga, Kodagu and Chitradurga. Not a single case had been reported from Bangalore Urban, Dharwad, Mandya, Mysore and Udupi districts.