AMN /
Supreme Court has expressed concern over farmers’ suicide due to indebtedness and crop failure. Hearing a public interest litigation filed by a voluntary organisation, the apex court asked the Centre to apprise it of the policy roadmap to address the burning issue.
The bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar observed, the issue of farmers’ suicide was of extreme importance and paying compensation to the families of such victims was not the real solution.
The bench observed, it is surprising no action has been taken to address the causes behind suicides, though farmers’ suicides have been happening for so many decades. Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha, appearing for
the Centre, told the bench, the government has initiated many schemes for farmers and the 2015 crop insurance scheme would drastically reduce such fateful incidents.
The original plea was on the plight of farmers in Gujarat and suicide committed by many there, but the court expanded the scope of the petition to the entire country.