Over 3,000 farmers committed suicide in last three years: Jayant Sinha tells parliament

NEW DELHI: More than 3,000 farmers committed suicide due to agrarian distress during the past three years, Parliament was told today.

The number of suicides committed by farmers attributed to agrarian distress during the past three years i.e. 2012, 2013 and 2014 as reported by state governments stood at 1,066, 890 and 1,357, respectively, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

In all, 3,313 farmers have committed suicide in the past three years.

Citing National Crime Records Bureau data, he said the major agrarian causes of suicide include indebtedness, crop failure, drought, socio-economic and personal conditions.

However, the Minister said data regarding loans from rural cooperative banks to families of the farmers who committed suicide are not available with NABARD.