Amitabh clears farmers' debts

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has helped farmers of Uttar Pradesh by paying off their loans.

The 76-year-old actor paid off loans of 1398 farmers from the state, that amounted to over Rs 4.05 crore.

He shared the news in his blog where he wrote, "Gratitude leans across to the desire of removing some of the burdens that farmers continue to suffer from...It was Maharashtra first, when over 350 farmers loans were taken care of... now its UP and 1398 of them that had out standings of loans on banks has been done with an outlay of 4.05 crore... and the inner peace it generates when the desired is completed."

Tens of thousands of Indian farmers struggle with debt.

For decades now, the farming industry has been blighted by drought, the depletion of the water table, declining productivity and a lack of modernisation. Farm suicides have been linked to these issues - at least 300,000 farmers have taken their lives since 1995.

Bachchan, who is 76, remains one of India's most popular and best-known actors.

Since it would difficult to bring all of the farmers to Mumbai city, where he lives, he said he had reserved a train coach to bring 70 of them to meet him to receive the bank documents, reported BBC. They are expected to arrive on 26 November.

Earlier this year Bachchan paid off the loans of 350 farmers from Mumbai's Maharashtra state. Thousands of farmers in the state staged massive protests last year demanding loan waivers and better crop prices.