Question : Farmer Suicides over Loans

(a) whether the Government has the data of suicide of farmers in the country, if so, the details thereof for the last four financial years, State-wise;

(b) whether the Government has any idea about the loans of farmers who committed suicide, if so, the details of the average liability of a farmer who committed suicide;

(c) whether the Government has any proposal to write off the existing loans of the farmers who committed suicide as well as those of small and medium farmers, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has the data of waived loans of farmers in the last four financial years, the details thereof;

(e) the initiatives taken by the Government to support the farmers financially and increase their income, the details thereof; and

(f) whether the Government has any programmes for providing psychological support for farmers to check the instances of suicide among debt ridden farmers, if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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a) & (b): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides in its publication titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ (ADSI). These Reports on suicides are available upto 2016 on its website.

(c) & (d): There is no proposal on waiver of crop loans under consideration of the Government of India.

(e): Agriculture being a State subject, the State Governments undertake implementation of programmes/ schemes for the development of the sector. Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments through various schemes/ programmes. The various schemes/ programmes of the Government of India are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production and remunerative returns to farmers. A list of various interventions taken by the Government is at Annexure-I. All these steps of the Government of India are for the welfare of the farmers of the country.
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The Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in 2016 to recommend a strategy for Doubling of Farmers’ Income (DFI) by the year 2022. The DFI Committee submitted its report and thereafter the Government constituted an Empowered Body on 23.01.2019 for monitoring the implementation of the recommendation of the DFI Strategy.

(f): The Government is supporting implementation of District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 655 districts of the country for detection, management and treatment of mental disorders/ illness. The DMHP has been restructured to include additional components like suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counseling in schools and colleges. Support is also provided for Central/ State Mental Health Authorities, Research and Training and for information, education and communication (IEC) activities.