Supreme Court agrees with Govt that issue of Farmers Suicide cannot be solved overnight

July 6, 2017

Govt asked for a year to show effective results of its pro-farmer schemes.

Issue of rising farmers' suicide can't be dealt with "overnight", the SC said today while agreeing with the govt's request for 1 year to show effective results of pro-farmer schemes such as Fasal Bima Yojana.

A bench of Chief Justice of India J. S. Khehar & Justice D. Y. Chandrachud said that "We're of the view that issue of farmers' suicide can't be dealt with overnight; it's justified on behalf of attorney general to seek time for effective results."

Bench has granted time to the Centre & fixed the PIL filed by the NGO Citizens Resource & Action Initiative (CRANTI) for hearing after 6 months.

Attorney general K. K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, asked for the government to be given adequate time.

Attorney general said that out of 12 crore farmers, 5,34,00,000 farmers have already been covered under various welfare schemes, including the Fasal Bima Yojana.

He also said that almost 30% farm land has been covered under the Crop Insurance Scheme & the figure'll substantially rise by the end of 2018.

The Apex court which initially said that the no. of farmer suicides was rising, later agreed to the contention of the government and granted it time.

Bench was hearing PIL raising the issue of farmer suicides in Gujarat, which was later expanded pan-India by the Apex Court.

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