Farmer Suicide Ex-Gratia Scheme

Farmer Suicide Ex-Gratia Scheme:

The “Farmer Suicide Ex-Gratia” Scheme, an initiative by the Agriculture & Cooperation Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, is designed to provide critical financial support to the families of farmers and tenant farmers who tragically take their own lives due to agrarian distress. The scheme aims to offer a substantial financial cushion, enabling the family to rebuild and recover from the devastating loss.

Financial Assistance

Under this scheme, family members of deceased farmers/tenant farmers who have committed suicide due to agrarian reasons are eligible for a ₹ 7,00,000 financial assistance package. This support helps alleviate the immediate financial burdens and aids in the rehabilitation of the family. Common reasons for these tragic suicides include:

• Failure of Bore Wells: Drought or depletion of water resources.
• High Cost of Cultivating Commercial Crops: Farmers struggle with skyrocketing expenses for crops that don’t bring in sufficient returns.
• Non-Remunerative Prices: Low prices for produce, leaving farmers unable to cover even basic costs.
• Adverse Seasonal Conditions: Unpredictable weather conditions leading to crop failure.
• Debt Burden: High-interest loans from private lenders that farmers are unable to repay.

Additional Support for Victim Families

1. Point of Contact: The District Collector’s office appoints a Superintendent who acts as the focal point for all farmer suicide cases and ensures that victim families receive the assistance they need.
2. Priority Access to Government Schemes: The affected families will also receive priority access to other government schemes based on their eligibility, providing additional relief for the survivors.
3. Special Grievance Day: A monthly grievance day is held at the Collectorate to address farmer-related issues, including suicides, distress, and eligibility for government schemes.

Eligibility Criteria

To avail of the financial assistance under this scheme, the following conditions must be met:

• The deceased must be a resident of Andhra Pradesh.
• The death must be a result of suicide, linked to agrarian distress.
• The deceased farmer may include tenant farmers, women farmers, and those without land titles who derive their livelihood from agriculture.

Application Process

Step 1: Upon a farmer’s suicide, the District Collector, along with officials from the Agriculture and Revenue Departments, will visit the affected family to offer support and gather necessary details.

Step 2: The District Collector will submit a proposal, including recommendations for financial assistance, along with all required documents.

Step 3: The Commissioner & Director of Agriculture will carefully review the case and authorize the disbursement of the financial aid.

Step 4: Financial assistance is directly transferred to the legal heirs of the deceased or to the District Collector for disbursement, ensuring prompt rehabilitation.

Documents Required for Application

To apply for the financial assistance, the following documents are necessary:

1. Residential/Domicile Certificate.
2. Passport-size photograph of the deceased.
3. Ex-Gratia Proposal with recommendations from the District Collector.
4. Reports from the Mandal Level and Divisional Level three-member committee.
5. Aadhar Card and Ration Card of the deceased.
6. Death Certificate, FIR Copy, Post-Mortem Report, and Death Panchanama.
7. Bank Details of the legal heir for Direct Benefit Transfer.
8. If the deceased was a tenant farmer, documentation such as Revenue Records or Crop Cultivators Rights Card (CCRC) is required.