Karnataka: No records, no compensation for 262 deceased farmers’ families
Bengaluru: The distribution of compensation to families of 291 farmers who committed suicide, has been pending for months because of the non-receipt of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report and non-availability of suitable records to show that those farmers had owned agricultural land.
This apart, the government had rejected Rs 5 lakh compensation in 262 suicide cases of the total 854 cases reported from April 1 to November 21, 2015 citing family disputes and the fact that the deceased farmers did not have land or crop loans in their names. For instance, 23 farmer suicide cases were reported in Koppal district of which only five cases had been accepted and the kin paid compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. But as many as 14 cases have been rejected on the ground that these farmers had no land. The remaining four cases are pending for want of documents.
The Siddaramaiah government, which claims to be 'pro-farmer', had recently stated that it would relax the norms and direct revenue authorities to give compensation to families where land records were not transferred in the name of their sons/daughters in undivided families. But the assistant commissioner headed committees have rejected several cases where land records were not in the names of deceased farmers. The government has not come out with details of the total number of farmer suicides due to domestic reasons.
As on November 21, 854 farmer suicides have been reported out of which 563 cases have been settled. Among the 301 accepted cases, compensation has been paid in 284 cases while in the remaining 17 cases the process of giving compensation is underway. But 262 cases were not accepted for compensation by the committee.
Of the 76 suicides reported in Mandya district, 21 cases were rejected and 31 cases are pending; in Haveri, of 69 cases, 20 cases were rejected and 29 cases are pending and in Tumkuru, of the 55 cases, 11 cases were rejected and 21 cases are pending. In the CM's home district, Mysuru,10 cases were rejected and 26 are pending. So far, the government has disbursed compensation of Rs 14.20 crore till date.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to give compensation to all deceased farmers irrespective of whether they had land in their name or not but the revenue department had rejected compensation in as many as 262 cases. This is gross injustice”, said Kurubur Shanthkumar, president, Karnataka Sugar Cane Growers' Association
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