Tiller not farmer if land’s not in his name: Karnataka Government

Mysuru: The definition of farmer has changed in the state, as also the description of “farmer suicides”. The wife, son or daughter of a farmer who toil in the fields cannot get the agriculturist tag unless they have the land registered in their names. Not only that, the government also has a new definition for farmer suicides, even as the state is being wracked by these heart-rending incidents.

The latest notification issued by the Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture, makes it clear that farmers who have committed suicide due to distress because of drought or sliding prices of crops do not figure under the category “farmer suicides”. Only those farmers who have committed suicide after taking loans from nationalised or cooperative banks and after getting notices from these financial institutions can be considered under this category.

Also, a committee of officers at the subdivisional level has to certify that it is a farmer’s suicide, applying the framework issued by the principal secretary. Only then the family of a “farmer” will be entitled to an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, based on the severity of distress.

“But there are many farmers who have taken loans from moneylenders and self-help groups. This rule will leave out a large number of farmers’ families, who rightly deserve the compensation,” said a high-ranking officer.

Channegowda (45), a farmer from Siddapura village in Srirangpatna taluk, hanged himself as he was burdened by loans. But according to government officials, he is not a farmer as he cultivated a one-acre land that is in his mother’s name.

Not only Channegowda, even Devraj (24), son of Ramaiah in Chikkabyadarahalli, Madhu (26), son of Shivalingegowda in Arechaakanahalli, and Shashikala (45), wife of C.T. Byregowda in Challanayakanahalli, did not own the land they tilled. All of them had borrowed from private moneylenders.

The families of these farmers will not be eligible for compensation under the new rule. Channegowda’s postmortem was conducted at the spot where the body was found. When asked, Superintendent of Police Bhushan Borase said, “The decision to conduct the autopsy at the spot was taken as the body was in a decomposed state.”