No cash relief for last year’s pesticide inhalation victims

Nagpur: Though deaths of farmers and farm labourers due to pesticide inhalation hit headlines this year, they had occurred last year too. Yet, state government's relief of Rs2 lakh will be given only to the kin of 39 who died in 2017. An ex-gratia amount of Rs2 lakh was announced from chief minsiter's relief fund for the farm workers falling to killer spray. The farmers having land in their name got the money through Gopinath Munde Farmers Accident Insurance scheme that covers them against such eventualities.

The episode led to flipping of past records. It was found that six persons had died in Yavatmal district due to pesticide inhalation in 2016. However, their names have not been included in the list of beneficiaries. There is a likelihood of deaths having taken place in other districts too, said sources.

A senior official at Government Medical College (GMC), Yavatmal, said last years' six deaths were due to pesticide inhalation. These are not to be confused with consumption of pesticide, clarified the source. Pesticide consumption is a common method of committing suicide by farmers in Yavatmal, the official said. The hospitals authorities said records beyond 2016 could not be retrieved.

"The amount will not be payable to previous year's victims. This was because the order was issued after current deaths," said Dr Rajesh Deshmukh, Yavatmal district collector.

Kishore Tiwari, chairman of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM) said the relief to all 22 victims of the Yavatmal district had been distributed, They are all kin of this year's victims only. Rest of the deaths are spread across other districts including Nagpur. "There is no reason why kin of those who died the previous year should not be helped," said Tiwari.

Prior to his appointment as VNSSM chief by the government, Tiwari operated as farmers' activist. He said it kin of all those who have died in the district have got the amount. In addition, 1100 persons who took ill have also been compensated for loss of wages. Each person has been given Rs5,000 over and above the reimbursement of medical expenses by the government.

The special investigation team (SIT) appointed in this matter will also be probing how such deaths went unreported till they reached a peak in September this year.

CM visits affected patients

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday visited the pesticide inhalation affected farmers in Yavatmal. As he met the victims undergoing treatment at GMC Yavatmal, the chief minister directed the district administration officials to tour every village in Yavatmal. He also asked agriculture department officials to monitor opening of minimum support price (MSP) procurement centres for cotton. Orders have been already issued for it, said a press release from state's information department.

The officials were asked to take strong action against dealers selling pesticides without a valid licence.