Govt should focus on farmers’ issues, not on compensation: SC
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Modi government to address the cause of farmers’ suicides and prevent such suicides, instead of handing out compensation to the hapless families after their death.
The top court also demanded to know from the central and state governments as well as the RBI if there was a loan waiver policy to help them tide over financial crises caused by natural calamities such as floods and drought.
“The government should make efforts to address the reasons behind the suicides, not focus on payment of compensation. You seem to be going in the wrong direction,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar said during a hearing on a PIL.
The PIL, filed by NGO Citizens Resource and Action Initiative (CRANTI) founded by danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, had specifically drawn the top court’s attention to 600 such alleged suicides which had occurred in Gujarat from 2003-2012. Modi was then the Chief Minister of the state.
The bench, which also comprised Justice N.V. Ramana, observed that farmers continued to face problems as pressing issues facing them remained unresolved for years.
Farmers suffered losses whenever there was a bumper crop, causing the market price to fall, or a crop failure due to drought or floods, the CJI observed, hinting at inadequate social security to help them tide over such crises.
The top court also demanded to know from the central and state governments as well as the RBI if there was a loan waiver policy to help them tide over financial crises caused by natural calamities such as floods and drought.
“The government should make efforts to address the reasons behind the suicides, not focus on payment of compensation. You seem to be going in the wrong direction,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar said during a hearing on a PIL.
The PIL, filed by NGO Citizens Resource and Action Initiative (CRANTI) founded by danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, had specifically drawn the top court’s attention to 600 such alleged suicides which had occurred in Gujarat from 2003-2012. Modi was then the Chief Minister of the state.
The bench, which also comprised Justice N.V. Ramana, observed that farmers continued to face problems as pressing issues facing them remained unresolved for years.
Farmers suffered losses whenever there was a bumper crop, causing the market price to fall, or a crop failure due to drought or floods, the CJI observed, hinting at inadequate social security to help them tide over such crises.
