2,800 Karnataka Farmer Suicides In 3 Years, State Says 'Schemes Not Failed'

Karnataka has recorded 2,809 farmers' suicide cases over the last three years, the state government informed the Legislative Assembly while asserting that the number of such incidents has been declining in recent years.

The figures were disclosed in a written reply by Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy to a question raised by BJP MLA Aravind Bellad.

According to the data placed before the House, 1,254 farmers died by suicide in 2023-24, followed by 1,178 cases in 2024-25. In the current year 2025-26, 377 cases have been reported so far, taking the total to 2,809 cases.

Despite the recent decline, the minister acknowledged that Karnataka ranks second in the country in terms of farmers' suicides, as per data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

 Year-wise and district-wise details have been provided to the House in annexures.

On compensation, the government said financial assistance has been paid to several bereaved families, while payments in some cases remain pending due to technical issues in the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. These include dormant or closed bank accounts, Aadhaar not being linked, NPCI mapping failures and frozen accounts.

The minister assured that compensation would be released once these issues are resolved, but clarified that certain older cases cannot be paid due to Finance Department restrictions.

He also informed the House that, as per a recent Finance Department order dated November 6, compensation in farmers' suicide cases must be settled within nine months of the incident. 

In cases of accidental death and disability, payments must be completed within six months.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the issue, the government maintained that farmers' suicide cases have reduced when compared to the previous three years, rejecting claims that government schemes had failed and stating that ongoing interventions are showing results.