Mon Oct 13 14:26:21 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text:

**Headline: Farmer Suicides Spike in Tamil Nadu, Union Schemes Ineffective, Says Bharatiya Kisan Sangh**

**Madurai, October 13, 2025:** The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) has raised serious concerns about the alarming rate of farmer suicides in Tamil Nadu, claiming the state ranks third highest in the country for such tragedies. K. Sai Reddy, All India President of BKS, speaking to the press in Madurai today, urged the State government to address the crisis by formulating effective policies to alleviate the hardships faced by farmers.

Reddy criticized the ineffectiveness of Union government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance) in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, calling for state governments to implement schemes more efficiently.

While welcoming the GST tax reduction on agricultural inputs to 5%, the BKS called for further reductions on agricultural pump sets and pipelines, currently taxed at 18%. Reddy also urged the Union government to address the nationwide urea shortage.

Regarding the Mullaperiyar dam issue, the BKS supports the Supreme Court judgement to increase the water level to 152 feet, stating it would benefit rain-shadow districts like Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, and Ramanathapuram.

The BKS also highlighted the delays in paddy procurement in the Cauvery delta regions, emphasizing the need for increased storage facilities to prevent farmers from storing paddy on roads. Insufficient lorry transport was identified as a key factor in the procurement delays, requiring immediate attention before the onset of the northeast monsoon.

N.S. Parthasarathy, State president of BKS, advocated for the expansion of irrigation schemes like the 58-channel scheme in Usilampatti to other drought-prone areas such as Kottampatti.

*If you are feeling distressed or having suicidal thoughts, please seek help by calling the State’s health helpline 104 or Chennai-based Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050 or Speak2Us helpline 9375493754.*

Read More