Lok Sabha Question No. 170 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-21
Subject: Suicide by Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE
Asked by: RAMA KISHORE SINGH, RAGHAV LAKHANPAL, SHARAD TRIPATHI, SAUGATA ROY, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL, KRISTAPPA NIMMALA, SULTAN  AHMED, JITENDRA CHAUDHURY, B.N. CHANDRAPPA, GEETHA KOTHAPALLI, DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, RAJAN BABURAO  VICHARE

O.I.H

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & COOPERATION

**LOK  SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.170**

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  21 ST JULY, 2015

**SUICIDE BY FARMERS**

170.	 SHRI RAMA KISHORE SINGH:

SHRI RAGHAV LAKHANPAL:

SHRI SHARAD TRIPATHI:

PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

SHRI NIMMALA KRISTAPPA:

SHRI SULTAN AHMED:

SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY:

SHRI B.N. CHANDRAPPA:

SHRI OM BIRLA:

SHRI C.R. CHAUDHARY:

SHRIMATI KOTHAPALLI GEETHA:

SHRI D.K. SURESH:

SHRI RAJAN VICHARE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE 	     कृषि मंत्री

be pleased  to state:

(a)	 whether incidents of farmers' suicide including sugarcane and cotton growers

have risen in various parts of the country;

(b)	 if so, the details thereof including the number of such cases reported during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise along with the reasons therefor;

(c)	 the details of financial assistance and compensation provided to the families of deceased farmers during the said period, State-wise;

(d) 	whether the Government has launched several schemes to empower and encourage the farmers to adopt modern farming techniques to get more agricultural produces and remunerative prices therefrom, if so, the details thereof including the funds allocated and utilised thereunder during the said period; and

(e)	 the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to prevent the farmers from committing suicide?

### 1 ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

कृषि मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री  (SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA)

(a) & (b):	 As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data published annually, the number of suicides by persons self employed in farming / agriculture in 2012, 2013 and 2014 were 13754, 11772 and 5650 respectively. The data relating to suicides in 2015 has not been published by NCRB.

Contd…2/-

-2-

(c):      Agriculture is a State subject under the Constitution and therefore, State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture sector and welfare of farmers including payment of compensation to the bereaved families  of farmers affected by suicides.

(d):      For promotion of Agricultural Mechanization in the  country, Government is implementing a Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) w.e.f. 2014-15 under the aegis of National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology with the following objectives:

1. Increasing the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the   regions where availability of farm power is low;

1. Promoting ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership;

1. Creating hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipments;

1. Creating awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and capacity building activities;

1. Ensuring performance testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the country.

The funds allocated/ released under this Sub-Mission State-wise is enclosed at **Annexure-I** .

(e): 	  State Governments are primarily responsible for development of the agriculture sector.  Government of India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support. It has taken several steps to revitalize the agriculture sector and improve upon the condition of farming community on sustainable basis by increasing public investment, improving farm practices, rural infrastructure, extension, marketing, etc.  Various programmes/ schemes for the development of agriculture sector are being implemented in a decentralized manner with flexibility to State Governments to formulate and implement appropriate projects to suit their specific requirements. The focus of Government is primarily on expansion of farm income, creation of non-farm income opportunities, improvement in productivity of rainfed agriculture, increasing coverage of farming areas under protective irrigation and forging appropriate backward and forward linkages.

Other measures taken by the Government for the benefit of farmers include enhancement in minimum support prices of agricultural commodities, increase in institutional credit flow to agriculture sector, post-harvest loan for six months to eliminate distress sale of agricultural produce by farmers, debt waiver/relief, interest subvention on crop loans, revival package for strengthening Short Term Rural Cooperative Credit Structure, etc.

**Annexure-I**

**Statement in respect of part (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 170 for 21.07.2015 regarding suicide by farmers.**

**State-wise Allocation and Release of Funds under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization**

**(Rs. in Lakhs)**

| **S.No.**   | **Name of the State**   | **2014-15**    |              | **2015-16**    |                                    |
|-------------|-------------------------|----------------|--------------|----------------|------------------------------------|
|             |                         | **Allocation** | **Release**  | **Allocation** | **Release**  **(as on 30.06.2015** |
|             | Andhra Pradesh.         | 1075.9         | 1053.5       | 758.47         | --                                 |
|             | Bihar                   | 981.04         | 900.8        | 691.59         | --                                 |
|             | Chhattisgarh            | 567.82         | 518.53       | 400.29         | --                                 |
|             | Goa                     | 13.174         | 0.00         | 2.00           | --                                 |
|             | Gujarat                 | 1028.8         | 794.38       | 725.24         | --                                 |
|             | Haryana                 | 300.21         | 255.21       | 211.63         | --                                 |
|             | Himachal Pradesh        | 110.58         | 101.59       | 77.95          | 37.41                              |
|             | Jammu & Kashmir         | 140.41         | 118.41       | 98.99          | --                                 |
|             | Jharkhand               | 399.17         | 357.76       | 281.40         | 139.38                             |
|             | Karnataka               | 1305.7         | 961.78       | 920.48         | --                                 |
|             | Kerala                  | 272.68         | 237.13       | 192.23         | --                                 |
|             | Madhya Pradesh          | 1599.2         | 1392.04      | 1127.40        | --                                 |
|             | Maharashtra             | 2264.2         | 2033.71      | 1596.20        | 798.01                             |
|             | Orissa                  | 818.02         | 708.94       | 576.67         | --                                 |
|             | Punjab                  | 264.63         | 209.45       | 186.56         | --                                 |
|             | Rajasthan               | 1760.9         | 1579.93      | 1241.40        | --                                 |
|             | Tamil Nadu              | 937.89         | 843.75       | 661.18         | --                                 |
|             | Uttar Pradesh           | 2426.1         | 2121.35      | 1710.30        | --                                 |
|             | Uttarakhand             | 113.08         | 90.56        | 79.72          | --                                 |
|             | West Bengal             | 880.12         | 597.77       | 620.45         | --                                 |
|             | Arunachal Pradesh       | 48.578         | 48.58        | 188.32         | --                                 |
|             | Assam                   | 691.95         | 562.06       | 692.00         | ---                                |
|             | Manipur                 | 49.978         | 110.13       | 191.11         | 95.27                              |
|             | Meghalaya               | 138.1          | 125.14       | 362.67         | --                                 |
|             | Mizoram                 | 56.068         | 49.79        | 202.93         | --                                 |
|             | Nagaland                | 67.906         | 61.5         | 225.93         | 107.17                             |
|             | Sikkim                  | 18.252         | 18.52        | 129.83         | --                                 |
|             | Tripura                 | 83.893         | 39.46        | 257.21         | 121.94                             |
|             | Telangana               | 779.11         | 692.87       | 549.23         | --                                 |
|             | **Total**               | **19193.46**   | **16584.64** | **14959.38**   | **1299.18**                        |

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