New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government told the Supreme Court that suicide of farmers was integrally linked to problems and deficiencies in the farming sector as the fruits of schemes did not benefit them.
Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narasimha told a three-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misra, A.M. Kanwilkar and M.M. Shantanagouder that a fresh look was needed to address the concerns of the farmers.
He listed out the schemes initiated by the Centre and said the focus was on increasing the income of farmers rather than on increasing production.
He said the state was looking into the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest issues so that the problems of farmers can be addressed.
When counsel Rajara-man, appearing for Mr P. Ayyakannu, who led the agitation in the capital, said the TN government was not giving a true picture of the number of suicides by farmers, Justice Misra said “the purpose of entertaining this litigation is not to find fault but to get some benefit to the farmers and to the families who had lost their breadwinner. The state must take affirmative steps and not rest on rhetoric statements.”
