BJP disputes govt data on farmer suicides, says 221 deaths in 7 months

The BJP has claimed that as many as 221 farmers have committed suicide in the last seven months in Karnataka and not 199 as stated by the government.

The families of just 63 farmers have received compensation so far, the party’s general secretary, C T Ravi, told reporters  in Bengaluru on Wednesday. 

Ravi, who was part of the six teams formed by the BJP to visit families of farmers in 21 districts on July 25 and 26, said that the number of suicides was far more than that suggested by the government.

At least 100 out of the 221 farmers ended their lives in the last 40 days. As per the BJP’s findings, the majority of the farmers were small holders battling mounting debt, crop loss, poor seeds and fertilisers, inflation, poor returns, non-payment of milk subsidy amounting to Rs 229 crore, etc. 

He hinted at the party holding a ‘Vishwas Yatra’ comprising prominent citizens, agriculture scientists and leaders to instil confidence in farmers. 

Ravi said that the BJP would highlight those observations in a report, and make such recommendations to the government as bringing out a comprehensive loan scheme, completion of irrigation projects, remunerative prices for agricultural produce, implementation of organic farming policy, setting up of cold storages, etc. 

BJP figures on suicides 

32 in Haveri, Gadag, Belagavi and Dharwad; nine in Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Ballari and Koppal; 12 in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada; nine in Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar and Kolar; 23 in Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Tumakuru, Chitradurga and Davangere; eight in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur and Yadgir.