The farming community in Andhra Pradesh gripped by a severe agrarian crisis had heaved a sigh of relief when the State government promulgated an order in February 2015 enhancing the compensation from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh to provide succour to the families of debt-ridden farmers who were forced to end their lives.
Thanks to red tape, it has been a long wait for the next of kin of the deceased farmers to get the enhanced compensation from the State in the last two years, finds a fact-finding team headed by Human Rights Forum general secretary V.S. Krishna on Thursday.
In Andhra Pradesh as a whole, 960 cases of farmer suicides had been reported since the TDP assumed office.
“It is pathetic that hardly 96 families of the farmers have been given compensation, defeating the very purpose of the G.O Ms.No. 62 to provide economic and rehabilitation package to the next of kin of the deceased farmer families.
The situation is worse in Prakasam district with only six of the 78 farmer families who had reportedly committed suicide getting compensation,” he added.
The team found that in none of the eight cases the HRF team visited in Parchur, Yaddanapudi and Karamchedu mandals on Thursday had the Division-level committee headed by the Revenue Divisional Officer called on the bereaved farmer families.
“We believe that these are cases of genuine farmer suicides.
The families which barely survive deserve all assistance,” added HRF State executive member Nageswara Rao.
Pending cases
Lack of institutional credit drives most of the tenant farmers, the most vulnerable section, into the hands of private money lenders resulting in high indebtedness and farmer suicides, pointed out HRF district convenor N. Venugopal.
He said the TDP which rode to power to make farming profitable had failed to do so and was duty-bound to at least ensure timely relief to the farmer families pushed into further distress after losing the bread winners.
