6,669 farmers, agricultural labourers committed suicide in Maharashtra in 2023: Minister

Mumbai: As many as 6,669 farmers and agricultural labourers committed suicide in Maharashtra in 2023, relief and rehabilitation minister Makrand Patil informed the state assembly on Thursday.In a written reply to a question raised by NCP MLA Dharamraobaba Atram, he said the suicide figures were based on the 2023 estimates of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).“It is true that among those who died by suicide, 4,150 were farmers and 2,519 farm labourers. Out of the farm labourers who ended their lives, 77 were women,” the minister stated.Replying to another query on whether the suicides of 29 farm labourers who did not own any agricultural land had been excluded from the list, Patil gave a brief response, saying, “It is partially true,” without furnishing any clarification or details.The govt’s reply came amid concerns over the classification of farm suicide cases and whether all eligible agricultural labourers had been accounted for in the official data.