5,098 agricultural workers died by suicide in 2020, Minister Tomar tells Rajya Sabha

Number of suicides of agricultural labourers in the country has risen by 17.08 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. Citing the NCRB report of 2019 and 2020, the minister said that while 4,324 agricultural workers died by suicide in 2019, it went up to 5,098 in 2020.

New Delhi: There has been a 17.08 per cent increase in number of suicides of agricultural labourers in the country in 2020 as compared to 2019. Citing the NCRB report of 2019 and 2020, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said in Rajya Sabha on Friday that while 4,324 agricultural workers died by suicide in 2019, it went up to 5,098 in 2020.

Answering a question raised by TRS MP K. R. Suresh Reddy, the union minister said that since agriculture is a state subject, the state governments take appropriate measures for the development of agriculture in their states. He also said that the Centre "supplements" the state government's efforts through policy measures, budgetary support and several schemes.

"The latest major intervention includes the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat – Agriculture package’, which includes the creation of ‘Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF)’ worth Rs1 lakh crore," said Tomar.

He also said that the Centre has created a Micro Irrigation Fund worth Rs10,000 crore and an Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs 1lakh crore.

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