Madhya Pradesh witnessed as many as 27,254 suicides between January 1, 2007 and January 31, 2011, but only 13 farmers took their lives due to debt or poverty during this period. Amid claims and counter-claims over suicides by debt-ridden farmers, the state government provided these figures to the Assembly in a written reply on Tuesday.
The government claimed only one farmer took his life due to debt/poverty in 2009, two each in 2007 and 2008, three in 2010 and five in 2011.
The state had witnessed a spate of suicides from rural areas recently, especially after frost damaged crops.