Farmer suicides: widows to get land rights transferred

Aiming to empower the widows of farmers who have committed suicide, the Maharashtra government has decided to transfer land titles in their names. The Revenue and Forest department issued a government resolution (GR) in this regard Tuesday.

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) had submitted a report to the government recommending measures to empower farmers' widows. The GR said that now onwards, the land title (including `7/12' extract or document) would be transferred in the woman's name if her husband, being a farmer, commits suicide.

Such widows would also get priority in the distribution of other assets and monetary assistance will be given for the marriage of their daughters and for schooling of children. In December last year, MSCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and recommended about a dozen measures to empower farmers' widows.

Before that, the commission had conducted camp-cum- seminars in Nagpur and Aurangabad to understand socio-economic problems faced by the widows of farmers. It found that such women face problem while getting property rights transferred in their names as often relatives of the husband object to it.

Rahatkar welcomed the government's decision Thursday.