Kerala farmer ends life allegedly due to financial crisis; Governor, opposition criticise govt

A farmer ended his life in the Kuttanad region in this southern district on Saturday allegedly due to financial problems as he did not get payment for the paddy procured by the government.A suicide note, purportedly written by the farmer K G Prasad, accusing the Left government and some banks of being responsible for him taking the extreme step, triggered a political row in the state.State Agriculture Minister P Prasad, in a statement issued on Saturday night, condoled the demise of the farmer and said the reason behind the suicide will be investigated.

A farmer ended his life in the Kuttanad region in this southern district on Saturday allegedly due to financial problems as he did not get payment for the paddy procured by the government.

A suicide note, purportedly written by the farmer K G Prasad, accusing the Left government and some banks of being responsible for him taking the extreme step, triggered a political row in the state.

State Agriculture Minister P Prasad, in a statement issued on Saturday night, condoled the demise of the farmer and said the reason behind the suicide will be investigated. The 55-year-old Prasad, a paddy farmer hailing from Ambedkar Colony at Thakazhi here, had consumed poison on Friday night, police said.

Though he was admitted to a hospital in Thiruvalla, he died in the wee hours of today, they added.

Though police are yet to confirm if he took the extreme step due to the financial crisis, Prasad's friends and other farmers alleged that he ended his life as he failed to get money from the government for the paddy procured from him.

''As per the preliminary investigation, it has been found that the farmer had received all the government benefits. The Krishi Bhavan had given the paddy seeds and others for farming. The price for the paddy procured from him in the last season was also given and the government had cleared the PRS arrears for the year 2021-22,'' Prasad said in a statement.

''The Department of Food and Civil Supplies has informed that the due date for the next repayment of PRS loan for the year 2022-23 is yet to come. The situation which led to denial of personal loan for the farmer needs to be investigated,'' the minister said.

Governor Arif Muhammed Khan, who visited a hospital in nearby Thiruvalla where the deceased man's mortal remains were kept, said farmers have been facing a huge crisis in the state and his ''heart goes out to Prasad's family''.

Expressing deep grief over the death, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan alleged that the government failed in paddy procurement and payments for farmers were due for months.

In a purported suicide note written by the deceased farmer, he alleged that the state government and three banks were responsible for his death.

The letter was shown by some television channels in the morning.

The visuals of a video call, which the deceased man allegedly made just before taking the extreme step, was also telecast by the channels.

In the telephonic conversation, an emotional Prasad could be heard saying that he was a failed man in life and the banks were denying him loan over low CIBIL score.

He also alleged that he received the paddy procurement price for the last season as post-harvest credit under the Paddy Receipt Sheet (PRS) scheme and the government's failure in repaying it was the reason for the banks to deny him loan this time.

The agriculture minister said the reduction in CIBIL scores for farmers who settle their bank loan dues in a lump sum, leading to subsequent loan denials, warrants a thorough examination.

The minister also said that banks should have a liberal approach in providing loans to farmers for cultivation.

Earlier in the day, Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, came out defending the government and said that PRS arrears was not the reason for the farmer's death.

Rejecting the charges of non-payment of the loan amount by the government, he said money had been paid for the rice procured from farmers.

There was no such situation in the state in which farmers were not able to avail bank loans due to low CIBIL score because of PRS arrears, the minister further said.