Another MP farmer ends life by hanging self

One more debt-ridden farmer on Sunday ended his life by hanging himself from a tree in his agriculture field in Madhya Pradesh.

With his death, total number of farmers taking the extreme step to escape the loan burden has increased to eight in the past one week in the state.

In the latest case of farmer suicide, 60-yearold Pyarelal was found hanging from a tree in his agriculture field in the village of Pipliya Vyas in Neemuch district. He had taken a loan of `2.5 lakh from a local bank.

He was under pressure to conduct marriage of his daughter, his kin said.

“The body has been sent for a post-mortem. The reason behind the farmer taking the extreme step is yet to be ascertained and a probe is on,” inspector in-charge of Neemuch police station H. Patil said.

Meanwhile, the MP government has decided to convert short-term farm loans into medium term loans to give relief to the defaulters and make them eligible for fresh farm loans to go for ensuing kharif and rabi crops.

“The state government has earmarked `12,000 crore for the purpose,” an official spokesman said on Sunday.