NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court recently directed the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) to file within four weeks a comprehensive report with regard to the steps taken by the Union, State governments and other stakeholders to effectively address the multiple factors that contribute to the persistent distress — including farmers suicide — faced by farmers across the country.

“We need to have a response from the Centre and states on the issue and after receiving the reply, we will hear the case later,” said a two-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya.

The SC sought the replies from the respective respondents, after hearing a writ petition filed in 2014 by an NGO named ‘Citizens Resource and Action and Initiative’ (CRANTI), raising the issue related to farmers’ suicides.

Though the petition was filed seeking relief for the families of farmers who died by suicide in Gujarat, in 2017, the Supreme Court had expanded the scope of the matter, and sought for a national action plan, and impleaded all the State Governments as respondents in the petition filed by CRANTI.

On Friday, CJI Surya Kant asked ASG Aishwarya Bhati to submit the details of the initiatives taken for the welfare of farmers.