Mysore/Mysuru: Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) P. Shivaraju has instructed the Officers of Departments concerned to take steps for speedy disbursal of relief and facilities for the next of kin in farmer suicide cases.

He was speaking during the progress review meeting on the implementation of facilities provided from various Departments to the family members of the farmers who end lives, organised at the new DC Office in Siddarthanagar in city recently.

ADC Shivaraju categorically instructed the officials not to delay the provision of special facilities extended by the Government in farmer suicide cases.

A meeting will be regularly conducted on first Monday of every month on providing Government facilities in the farmer suicide cases that meet the criterion. The Officers must ensure that the families of such farmers are not put into trouble,  he added.

A total of 53 farmers have committed suicide from April 2023 till date with 43 among them meeting the eligibility criterion for facilities. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report is pending in three cases, with a few more documents required in two cases. The Police should also give priority to such pending cases, he said.

The Officers should take steps to provide special health facilities by distributing Health Card from the Department of Health and Family Welfare in the cases of 16 farmer families. There should also be no delay in providing facilities from Department of Education to bereaved children of farmers.

When farmer suicide cases are reported, the Officers concerned should visit the spot within four hours of the incident and submit inspection report.

Awareness should be created among the about the schemes launched for the development of agriculture sector along with the progress of farmers and other Government facilities, to instil confidence in them to prevent them from taking any extreme step, advised ADC Shivaraju.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy, Agriculture, Revenue and Education Department officials  were present.