Farmers’ bodies reporting deaths of ryots as suicides for more compensation, says Minister Shivanand Patil

PTI, Sep 6, 2023, 2:06 PM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Shivanand Patil has said some farmers’ leaders and associations are reporting the deaths of peasants as suicide in order to claim more compensation.

According to him, ever since the compensation given to next to the kin of the farmers dying by suicide has been increased to Rs five lakh, reporting of such incidents has increased.

Talking to reporters after a review meeting here, Patil, who holds agricultural marketing, textiles, and sugarcane development portfolios, claimed in that in one instance it was proved that a youth who died due to liquor consumption was shown to have ended his life by suicide.

“The leaders of some farmers’ associations give false report in order to get some relief,” the Minister said.

Patil added that it is the responsibility of the district administrations and the state government to provide compensation in genuine cases (of farmer’s suicide) and that there was no shortcoming on that front.

He told reporters: “You should shed some light on how many farmers died by suicide before 2015 and how many such incidents are occurring after 2015. You will surely get to know. It’s human behaviour. There are poor people. They have a natural feeling that in case they don’t get that kind of compensation, they may get something here (by calling it farmer suicide), and they make such attempts,” Patil said.

“Before 2015, the compensation (for farmers dying by suicide) was very less and it was not given also. At that time, so many cases were never reported. After 2015 when we started paying a compensation of Rs five lakh, reporting of farmer suicide cases are increasing but there is little truth in them (claims),” he added.

Reacting to Patil’s statement, BJP’s IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya said, “In a shocking display of insensitivity, Karnataka sugarcane development and APMC minister Shivanand Patil claimed that farmer suicides in the state are increasing by leaps and bounds ”after the state government hiked compensation” for the family of the deceased. Really, Congress?”