Rein in private money lenders to curb farmer suicides, CM Siddaramaiah tells officials

With 251 farmers having died by suicide this fiscal and drought looming, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asked officials to go after private money lenders harassing farmers. Speaking at a daylong meeting with deputy commissioners and zilla panchayat chief executive officers where he took stock of the administration, Siddaramaiah said banks should ensure farmers are not pressurised. Between April 2022 and September 9 this year, Karnataka saw 1,219 suicides by farmers, according to data furnished at the CM’s meeting. In 2022, there were 968 farmers who died by suicide. Of them, 849 cases were eligible for compensation. From April to September 9 this year, 174 out of the 251 farmer suicides are eligible for compensation. “Only 174 cases have been resolved. The rest of the cases should be disposed of and compensation distributed early.

Delay in this regard is not right,” Siddaramaiah told officials, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office. “Private money lenders should be monitored after drought is declared. The CM suggested that the banks should ensure farmers are not harassed,” the statement added. Karnataka is likely to declare the list of drought-hit taluks on or after Wednesday when the Cabinet sub-committee on disaster management is scheduled to meet. The government has already identified 62 taluks where drought is extreme. The government is awaiting results of ground truthing (crop survey) in 134 taluks. Reviewing the drinking water situation, Siddaramaiah said there is a problem in 95 gram panchayats and two urban local bodies across 13 districts. “As much as possible, private bore wells should be used to supply water. If it becomes inevitable, then bore wells can be drilled in places where groundwater levels are high,” he said. Deputy commissioners have Rs 521.94 crore in their personal deposit accounts.

“At no cost should there be any trouble when it comes to availability of drinking water,” Siddaramaiah said. Insurance cos are looting, says CM During the meeting, Siddaramaiah rued that private insurance companies are “looting” under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Some ministers felt that the government should go in for an “assurance-based” scheme or that the state should have its own insurance firm to reduce the premium amount, sources said. Also, it was decided to form a committee of experts to revise guidelines on crop loss compensation. “Ultimately, compensation should help farmers come out of distress,” Siddaramaiah said.