The Supreme Court on Thursday has slammed the Tamil Nadu government on the issue of farmer suicides.
Calling the suicides a humanitarian crisis, the apex court said that the government cannot be silent on the issue.
A Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra said it was the duty of the State government to protect its farmers.
The top court has given two weeks’ time for the Tamil Nadu government to report the step taken by them on the issue.
The court said the state government cannot always rely on the Centre for help and needs to “rise up to the occasion” instead of blaming everything from drought to loan sharks.
“It is alarming to see that the State is still silent on this issue as farmers commit suicide,” Justice Misra observed.
The apex court also appointed Gopal Sankaranarayanan as amicus curiae in the case.
Gopal Sankaranarayan observed that the same plight has befallen the farmers of other states including Maharashtra.
The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by the Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation on the plight of farmers and farmer suicides.
Farmers from Tamil Nadu have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for more than 25 days demanding a drought relief package of Rs 40,000 crore from the Centre and farm loan waiver.
