According to an official report from the Divisional Commissioner’s Office in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, as many as 685 farmers have committed suicide this year. Beed, the home district of the state Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde, tops the list as it reported 186 deaths.
Eight districts make up the centrally located drab region of Maharashtra: Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani, Nanded, Osmanabad, Hingoli, and Latur.
As per the report, 685 farmers committed suicide between January 1 to August 31, 2023, in the region. Out of these 685, 294 deaths took place during the three months of the Monsoon season, i.e. from June to August. The current rainfall deficit in Marathwada is 20.7%. According to an official, the region has received 455.4 mm of rain as of September 11 as opposed to the 574.4 mm normal for the monsoon season during the period under consideration.
Beed, the region that reported the highest number of suicide cases, is the home district of rebel Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde. Munde joined hands with the Eknath Shinde-led administration on July 2. About two weeks later, he received the agriculture portfolio.
According to the report, farmer suicides were witnessed by other districts apart from Beed. Osmanabad reported 113 cases, Nanded 110, Aurangabad 95, Parbhani 58, Latur 51, Jalna 50, and Hingoli 22.
In the first half of this year, there have been 483 farmer suicides registered in the Marathwada region, according to state Revenue Department officials.
With 62 cases in January, 74 in February, 78 in March, 89 in April, a minor decline to 88 in May, and 92 in June, the number of suicides among agricultural workers has steadily increased.
Graphic Representation Of Total Deaths Reported In 2023 From January To August
According to data from the revenue department for Aurangabad division, 128 of the 483 fatalities in the first half of 2023 occurred in the Beed district, followed by 90 in Osmanabad and 89 in Nanded.
Among the 92 fatalities in June, Beed recorded the most-30-followed by Nanded, which had 24.
Of the 483 cases, 304 were determined to be ex-gratia eligible, 112 were being investigated, and 67 were determined to be ineligible. Only 10 families have so far received ex-gratia, which consists of a 30,000 rupee cash grant and a 70,000 rupee fixed deposit that can be withdrawn at a later date, the official said.
Graphic Representation Of Total Deaths Reported In 2023 From January To June 2023
Share
Tweet
