Jharkhand launches helpline for farmers

the wake of series of suicides by debt-ridden farmers in the state, the government here on Saturday launched special 24x7 helpline-cum-grievance redressal numbers exclusively for farmers.

It assured farmers that their problems would be addressed within three days of lodging a complaint.

The development comes weeks after chief secretary Rajbala Verma directed district deputy commissioners to ensure that no bank issued loan recovery letters to farmers in their district during the harvest season.

While launching the helpline numbers —0651-2490542 and 7632996429 — here on Saturday, chief minister Raghubar Das said, “You don’t have to worry about anything, the government is with you. Any grievance highlighted through the helpline numbers will be addressed in a maximum of three days.”

At least six farmers have committed suicide in the state in the past month.

The families of all the farmers claimed that they were debt-ridden and under pressure of repaying bank loans.

Officials from the chief minister’s office on Saturday said that the government was also working on providing financial security to farmers by ensuring that at least 25 lakh farmers in the state were covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

A month back, only 7.5 lakh farmers in Jharkhand were covered under the insurance scheme, but the count nears the 25 lakh mark at present, they said.