Assam forms inquiry panel to look into farmer suicide reports

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has set up a one-man inquiry committee to go into media reports of farmer suicides in the state from 2001 till date.

The government, through a notification issued on October 26, formed the Enquiry Committee to probe into media reports that 3,908 farmers had committed suicide in Assam since 2001 till date, a government release said today.

Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Subhash Chandra Das, has been named as the head of the panel which will probe whether these farmer suicides had indeed occurred as reported and ascertain the sequence of such suicides, if any, along with the causes thereof, the release said.

The committee will also pursue any other matter that it may find relevant to the inquiry and suggest preventive measures to avert recurrence.

The panel will have to submit its report within 30 days from the date of issue of the notification, the release added