Sharad Pawar Urges PM to Bring Policy to Stop Maharashtra Farmers Suicides

 Mumbai: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday raised a serious concern about farmers suicides in Marathwada and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Mr. Pawar, who is a former Union Agriculture Minister, said that the central government should come up with a policy to help the farmers. In the ongoing budget session, the state relief and rehabilitation (RR) department headed by Makrand Jadhav Patil informed that more than 2,300 farmers died by suicide in the state in year 2024.

Referring to the suicide number provided by the government, Mr. Pawar said that the situation in Beed district of the Marathwada region and few districts including Amravati, Yavatmal in Vidarbha region is worrisome. “We are collecting the data from different locations (about the farmers’ situation). I will urge the central government to come up with a policy to help the farmers of these regions,” he said.

The NCP (SP) chief said he would raise the issue in the parliament once it resumes on Monday.

As per the RR department’s information, Divisions of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Amaravati have witnessed more suicides comparing to other divisions of the state. The department said in a written reply that 952 farmers had died by suicide in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar division and 1069 farmers committed suicide in Amravati division.

Mr. Pawar also expressed concern over the crimes in Beed district, which has come to limelight after the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in the district. “Beed was once a peaceful district. I had never witnessed such a situation. At one time, six legislators from the district belonged to my party. There was a harmonious situation in Beed. However, some of them have decided to misuse their power, and now we are witnessing the consequences of it,” he said referring to the allegations against former minister Dhananjay Munde, who has joined the Ajit Pawar faction.

Mr. Munde’s close aide Walmik Karad is the alleged mastermind in the Sarpanch murder case.

The former Union agriculture minister said that farming is witnessing a revolution, and AI (artificial intelligence) will soon be used in sugarcane cultivation. “The AI technology can be used to boost the quality of sugarcane. Many sugar factories of western Maharashtra will take part in the AI farming process,” he said.

Mr Pawar has also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding an intervention to direct the government of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to give permission to install full size equestrian statues of Peshwa Bajirao I, Mahadji, Shinde and Subedar Malharrao Holkar at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi. In his letter to the Prime Minister, the NCP (SP) chief also expressed gratitude towards the Prime Minister for inaugurating the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan on February 21 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

The area around Talkatora Stadium holds immense importance in the military campaigns launched by the Maratha Empire against the Mughals in the 18th century. The veteran Maratha politician said a Pune-based NGO has planned to install busts of Bajirao, Shinde and Holkar at the Talkatora Stadium, but litterateurs and historians have weighed in favour of equestrian statues of the three warriors. “Many literary figures and well-wishers have voiced the sentiment that full-sized equestrian statues would be a more fitting tribute to their valour and contribution,” reads the letter.