Kerala is shocked by two suicides that happened back to back. KG Prasad, a paddy farmer from Ambedkar Colony, Thakazhi Kunnumma, died on Friday night due to consumption of poison. He committed suicide because he was disheartened by banks denying him agricultural loans on the pretext of low CIBIL score due to PRS (Paddy Receipt Sheet) loans related to paddy procurement.

Gopi, of Biju Bhavan in Omallur, Pallam, Pathanamthitta committed suicide on Saturday morning because he was not able to get the money for the roof even though the work on the house allotted under the government's LIFE scheme had started a year ago. Blame and disputes are now going on as to who is responsible for these suicides.

Although the similarity in a sentence in the suicide notes of these two ordinary people who had given up their lives to suicide may be coincidental, those words should open the eyes of the government and the general society. The note left by Prasad and Gopi was that they were committing suicide because they had failed in life. Who failed these two ordinary people? Years ago, Prasad had defaulted on an agricultural loan from a nationalized bank. Later, as per the bank's one-time settlement scheme, the amount excluding interest was paid and further proceedings were avoided.

Prasad, who was a rice farmer, had a PRS loan which was guaranteed by the government, for the amount he was supposed to get for supplying rice to the government. The loan amount and interest were to be paid by Supplyco, the nodal agency for paddy procurement. The CIBIL score of the farmer will decrease when Supplyco fails to pay this amount on time. Naturally, no bank will grant any kind of loan subsequently. It was this CIBIL score that set the trap for Prasad. As the government repeats its argument and the banks repeat their argument, the question remains: What is the solution to this problem?

Lottery salesman Gopi, who committed suicide in Pathanamthitta, had received Rs 2 lakh for his house under the LIFE scheme and was yet to receive another Rs 2 lakh. One of the legs of his wife Leela, who has a heart condition, was amputated due to diabetes. Gopi was a kidney patient. Leela is under the care of her daughter who lives on rent. Gopi was sleeping in a leaky makeshift shed.

Gopi's dream was to start living in the house with his wife before the last Onam once the roof was finished. Gopi had visited the panchayat office multiple times. The same answer was given every time 'funds have not arrived! Can you blame that common man for feeling that he had failed in life?

The local bodies are telling those who come asking for the money they deserve that there is no money in their funds, central allocation has not arrived and state government's allocation has not arrived. No matter how they say it, the meaning is the same: no money! Last day, the Chief Minister said that some people are trying to destroy the LIFE scheme and that more houses will be built under the scheme. The scheme is good. It will be effective and meaningful only when it is beneficial to the beneficiary. What is the use of the walls of a house worth Rs 2 lakh, if there is no roof above it? It is when the officials turn their faces after many, many attempts, that the beneficiaries feel that they have failed.

Whether it is the ongoing delay in the distribution of the price of paddy procurement, or the failure to allocate funds for the construction of houses under the LIFE project, what the common people expect from the government is not an excuse that they are not responsible. Problems need to be solved. Efforts should be made to learn from the mistakes and close the loopholes so that the full benefits of the project reach the beneficiary.

The belief that the government is with us and will not fail should be born in the minds of common people. The ones who lost must have courage if the repetition of suicides has to be avoided. Whatever can be done about it should be done as soon as possible.