Nagpur : Maharashtra Government has decided to grant land titles in their names to widows of farmers who committed suicides. Besides, it has asked nine different departments to initiate measures to facilitate welfare of women members of the families of farmers who ended their lives due to agrarian distress.
The Government has issued the directives after accepting the recommendations of Maharashtra State Commission for Women. The Commission had submitted its report and recommendations to the Government after conducting a workshop at Nagpur and Aurangabad some time ago. During the workshop, the issues concerning socio-economic security of women in families of dead farmers were discussed. The widows of farmers had narrated difficulties they faced due to land titles not being in their names, marriage of daughters, financial problems in the wake of ailments in family, livelihood challenges, challenges posed by loan repayment, red tapism in getting aid under various schemes etc.
State Government considered the report and accepted the recommendations. Accordingly, it has now asked nine departments to initiate various measures. Revenue and Forest Department has been asked to issue land titles in the names of widows of farmers. For the purpose, a special succession registration camp will be conducted under ‘Rajaswa Abhiyan’. This is an important step as many farmers’ widows do not get housing unit under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as the land titles are not in their names.
Woman and Child Development Department has been asked to take steps to accord priority to farmer’s widow in getting share in property. Other steps include providing financial assistance and solemnising of marriage of daughter(s) in mass marriage ceremony, according priority to helping family members of deceased farmers in getting benefits of welfare schemes, training the officials to enable them in sensitive handling of the issues concerning farmers’ widows, and setting up of special assistance cell for farmers’ widows at district level to redress their grievances and guide them about different welfare schemes.
In several cases, Maharashtra State Commission for Women had noted, the marriages of daughters of farmers got broken at an early stage. In such cases, Employment and Self-Employment Department and Woman and Child Development Department will extend help to such women in getting benefits of Government schemes and offer employment/self-employment opportunities as well as associate them with women’s self-help groups.
School Education Department has been directed to frame a special policy to resolve the issues regarding education and payment of fees for the children in the family of farmers who have committed suicide. The said policy must be implemented in right earnest, state the directives issued by V M Nandekar, Desk Officer, Revenue and Forest Department. Public Health Department will come up with measures including issuance of Health Card to ease the financial pressure on the family of deceased farmers.
Employment Guarantee Scheme Department has been directed to implement Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme on priority in the districts affected by suicides of farmers, and also to offer jobs under the scheme to families of deceased farmers. In Vidarbha, six districts are considered to be in the ‘affected’ category. These include Yavatmal, Washim, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, and Wardha. However, farmers in other districts of the region also have committed suicides.
Rural Development Department has been asked to give priority to farmers’ widows in Gharkul Yojana for housing units. Also, the Government has directed Agriculture Department to explore if ‘Kisan Mitra Helpline’, an initiative being implemented by some of the States, can be started in Maharashtra for the families of deceased farmers. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department has been asked to extent the benefits of Food Security Scheme to the affected families.
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