855 farmer suicides in Maha this year

Maharashtra has reported 855 cases of farmer suicides between January and April this year against 1,023 cases during the same period in 2016, the government informed Parliament on Friday. "The answer to unfortunate instances of farmers' suicides lies in improving their welfare," Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Friday.

He added that the Centre has adopted a strategy for enhancing farmer's income to make farming more viable and generate profits for farmers on a sustainable basis. Singh's colleague Parshottam Rupala too answered on related questions of farmer suicides.

He said that states have been directed to analyse in detail the districts where farmer suicides were happening and submit a report to the ministry on it. Rupala also sought to highlight some of the steps initiated by Maharashtra government to prevent farmers from committing suicide. Rupala said that the state is implementing a pilot project in Yavatmal and Osmanabad districts of Amravati and Aurangabad division. It has released funds to the tune of Rs 34.19 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 12.50 in 2016-17 to these districts for implementation of the 'Baliraja Chetana Abhiyan', he added.