MUMBAI, Oct. 27 -- Over eight farmers died by suicide every day in Maharashtra between January 2022 and June 2026, according to official data released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Figures provided by the state government's relief and rehabilitation department show that 13,128 farmers took their own lives during this 54-month period, an average of more than 250 deaths every month. Of the total cases recorded, 8,145 were found eligible for the state's ex-gratia compensation of Rs.1 lakh for surviving family members. A further 4,042 applications were rejected on various technical grounds, whilst 941 cases remain under scrutiny. Even among those deemed eligible, support has lagged: 7,850 families have received the Rs.1 lakh payout, leaving 295 households still awaiting assistance. The data was obtained by activist Jitendra Ghadge, who noted that the department provided the figures only after he filed an appeal with the first appellate authority. "I was initially denied district-wise figures," Ghadge said. "District-level breakdowns are critical because they show exactly where distress is concentrated and which schemes require urgent reform. The government must look beyond raw statistics and recognise the human tragedy behind every death." In June 2023, Ghadge wrote to the then chief minister, Eknath Shinde, urging the state to include farmer suicides under the Gopinath Munde Shetkari Apghat Vima Yojana. The move would have doubled the compensation for bereaved families from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.2 lakh. With large swathes of Maharashtra currently reeled by drought, Ghadge urged the state to take immediate measures to help the distressed farmers....