A coffee planter was found dead at a cattle shed near his house at Heggadde in Sakleshpur taluk on Monday. The police have identifed him as Anukaran, 40.
His wife, Ramya, in her complaint to the police, said Anukaran was disturbed over clearing the loan he had taken for his farming. The yield from the estate was very low as the crop was damaged repeatedly by elephants.
Anukaran had borrowed ₹8 lakh from Corporation Bank, besides ₹1.5 lakh from a private firm. The police have registered a case for further investigation.
Karnataka Growers Federation (KGF) and Hassan District Planters' Association, expressing shock over the incident, have appealed to the planters’ community not to lose confidence over the loss in the estates due to various factors, including floods and elephant attack.
U.M. Thirthamalles, president of KGF, told The Hindu , “It is disappointing to know that planters are committing suicide unable to bear the loss. The State and Central governments should come to their rescue.”
The banks were told to restructure loans and grant fresh loans. However, they had not done so. “The yield in coffee estates has come down drastically. Many farmers are facing difficulty in clearing loans. The planters’ community has been hoping that the budget would provide some relief to our problems”, he said.
(Those in distress or those having suicidal tendencies can call Arogya Sahayavani Ph.: 104 for help.)
