LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Government on Thursday asserted that "no deaths have occurred in the State due to hunger and poverty".

Revenue Minister Ambika Chaudhary said in the Vidhan Sabha that some cases of suicide by farmers ridden by the burden of debt had been reported and the seriousness of the situation could not be overlooked.

Replying to the issue of reported suicide by two farmers in Hamirpur district, the Revenue Minister said the details were being collected.

The issue was raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Lalji Tandon , who said that in the last 24 hours two farmers had committed suicide in Hamirpur district. Describing it as a matter of concern, he said the poor farmers were forced to end their lives as they were unable to repay the loans taken from banks and village moneylender.

Mr. Tandon said that in the last two months around 50 suicides by farmers had been reported from the Bundelkhand region of the State.

The figure had touched the 1000-mark during the three years' rule of the present Government, he charged.

He said the reported looting of food grains meant for the mid-day meal programme by hungry villagers showed that poverty and hunger was widespread in the region.

Pramod Tiwari of the Congress said the seriousness of the situation could be gauged from cases of children of hunger-stricken parents being forced to commit suicide and the parents also ending their lives.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code Bill, 2006, was passed by voice vote in the Assembly.

Earlier, presenting the Bill, the Revenue Minister informed the House that the Code had been formulated to speed up settlement of land ownership and land revenue cases.

Mr. Chaudhary said since the matters relating to land ownership and land revenue became entwined in different Acts, the number of revenue cases had gone up.

He said the Revenue Code Bill, 2006, incorporated 234 sections of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, and the UP Land Revenue Act, 1901.

With the Revenue Code Bill, 2006, being passed, 39 Acts, including the landmark UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, and the UP Land Revenue Act, 1901, stand abolished from the statute book.

The other Acts abolished include the 203-year-old United Provinces Revenue Officers' Regulation, 1803; the Bengal Indigo Contracts Regulation Act, 1823; the Bengal Indigo Contract Regulation Act, 1830; the Bundelkhand Alienation of Land Act, 1901; the UP Hindu Women's Right to Property ( Extension to Agricultural Lands ) Act, 1942; the United Provinces Rent Control Act, 1901; and the Uttar Pradesh Urban Area Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1956.

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