Ex-VCs submit 20-point plan to CM to end farmer suicides

Former vice-chancellors of different universities have submitted a set of suggestions to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to mitigate farmer suicides in the State.

The former VCs, under the Forum for Former Vice-Chancellors of Universities of Karnataka, conducted a workshop recently to discuss the issue of farmer suicides and measures to be taken to provide relief to farmers.

The forum consulted experts and spoke to farmers themselves before coming up with a 20-point proposal on the interventions to be made by the government.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Monday, former Vice Chancellor  of Bangalore University Dr N Prabhu Dev called for setting up of an agriculture welfare department to focus on the issues faced by farmers.

Recommendations

The forum’s 20-point recommendations include: Low interest loans for farmers, encouragement to farmers to take up secondary crops, insurance for farmers against natural disasters, identification of special agriculture zones before marking special economic zones, creating a database of suicide-prone farmers in every taluk and counselling them.

The forum has emphasised the importance of the government working in tandem with non-government organisations to counsel farmers.

The farmers were consulted about the problems being faced by them and how the government could help them.

Their recommendations included waiving loans taken by farmers by both the State and central governments, scientifically fixing minimum support price for all major crops, Rs one lakh to be given immediately to all farmers in distress and declaration of compensation for families of all farmers who committed suicide.