124 farmers ended lives in 2016: Maha to HC

About 124 farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra since January this year, the state government on Tuesday informed the Bombay high court, which asked the Centre what kind of assistance it provides to the state to deal with the grim agrarian crisis.

Observing it to be a serious issue, a Bench, headed by Justice Naresh Patil, asked the Additional Solicitor General to inform the High Court on the next occasion whether the Centre can chip in to provide schemes and financial help to the state to tide over the crisis.

“The figure is very alarming...in a span of one-and-a-half months, 124 farmers have killed themselves. We would like to know from the government what steps are being taken to stop this,” said Justice Patil.

Advocate General Srihari Aney informed the Bench that 124 farmers have taken their lives in the past one-and-a-half months, of whom 20 cases were reported from Osmanabad alone.

The High Court was hearing a suo motu PIL, urging to take steps on a war-footing to prevent farmers’ suicide.

Last week, the government had informed that 80 farmers had committed suicide in January 2016. However, on Tuesday, the state government said that 124 farmers had taken the extreme step in the past 45 days.