Thursday, December 8 2005 13:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Nagpur: Maharashtra Government has set up a high level committee, to formulate a package for debt-ridden farmers and to initiate steps to check rising suicides among them, according to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Winding up a two-day discussion in the state Legislative Assembly on growing number of suicides by farmers in the Vidarbha region due to crop failure and mounting debts and recovery by banks and private money lenders, Deshmukh said as he had discussed the issue with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) group leader Gopinath Munde and Eknath Khadse on setting up a panel.

The ruling alliance will come out with a special package, which will be comprehensive in nature and include crop loan, repayment, power supply, bogus seeds and availability of loan from co-operative banks.

He agreed to a suggestion by Suresh Jain NCP to include elected representatives in the panel to make it a farmer-friendly package.

Deshmukh said, "A state like Maharashtra will not like to bring a disrepute to itself due to a large number of suicides by farmers in region".

Leader of Opposition Ramdas Kadam (Sena), who was not available yesterday, has been invited to discuss the issue, he said adding that opinions of all concerned will be considered while formulating the special package, to be announced tomorrow (Dec 9,2005) after the Question Hour.

"The State Government had received reports from three prominent agencies including Indira Gandhi Human Resource Institute, Bangalore, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and Yashada and was studying the same," Deshmukh added.