Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s assurance to waive interest on farm loans taken from cooperative banks seems to have not instilled confidence among farmers as three farmers of Hassan allegedly committed suicide within 24 hours of the announcement of interest waiver.
Relief hiked
In addition, the government had announced that the compensation to families of farmers who commit suicide would also be hiked to Rs. 5 lakh.
Javarashetty (50), farmer from Dyavalapura in Hassan taluk, was found hanging from a tree in his land on Sunday morning.
His relatives told the police that he was in distress as the yield from his ginger field was not good. He had borrowed nearly Rs. 4 lakh from different sources, including a cooperative bank and a nationalised bank. Dudda Police visited the village and registered a case. Lokesh (40) from Sankenahalli, near Belur, allegedly committed suicide by consuming insecticide. He is survived by wife and two daughters.
Mr. Lokesh was found dead near the underground drainage unit near here on Sunday morning.
It was said that he consumed the insecticide on Saturday night. According to his relatives, Mr. Lokesh had borrowed some money from banks, besides Rs. 1 lakh from relatives to meet the expenses of his daughters’ education.
Reasons for his decision to commit suicide are yet to be ascertained.
The Belur police have registered a case. In another incident, Boranna Gowda (67) from Mayannakoplu in Arkalgud taluk, who was reported missing on Saturday, was found dead in Kaduvinaha Hosahalli canal in Arkalgud taluk, late in the evening.
According to his family members, increasing debt and crop loss must have prompted Mr. Boranna Gowda to take the extreme step.
He is said to have borrowed Rs. 4 lakh from different sources, including Kalpataru Grameen Bank branch of Doddabemmatti. Konanur police have registered a case.
The number of farmers’ suicides in Hassan district has crossed 30.
All the three incidents have occurred in the
last 24 hours
They had taken loans and were unable to repay them, according to family members
