A distressing incident occurred when a farmer in Ichal village Belagavi district attempted suicide during a visit by a central team to assess the drought situation in the state on Friday.
As the team toured farms and agricultural fields, the farmer approached the officers with a bottle of pesticide, clearly intending to consume it.
Fortunately, the police officers acted swiftly and managed to seize the bottle from him. The farmer, Appasaheb Lakkundi, was visibly distraught as he explained that the drought had completely destroyed the crop he had cultivated on 40 acres of land. This dire situation had driven him to contemplate such a drastic measure. He also expressed his frustration towards the officers who repeatedly visited farmers, making promises of compensation but failing to follow through.
Lakkundi further lamented the lack of support for farmers, contrasting it with the government’s provision of free schemes for women. He questioned why there were no similar initiatives in place to assist those in the agricultural sector.
Accompanying the team, Belagavi DC Nitesh Patil shed light on the severity of the drought situation in the district.
In response to the crisis, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held discussions with the Interministerial Central Team on Thursday, urging them to take appropriate measures to support the state’s farmers.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister provided the central team with a comprehensive overview of the drought situation in the state, highlighting that 195 taluks had been officially declared drought-prone according to central guidelines.