Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governments have shown laxity in coming to the aid of families of farmers who have committed suicide, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has alleged.
Members of the HRF fact-finding teams who visited 84 villages in AP and Telangana over the last several weeks have found that many families have not been provided relief and rehabilitation package under GO Ms no 421 and demanded that all suicide cases should be re-verified by a three-member committee consisting of RDO, DSP and AD of agriculture.
“We estimated that not less than 925 farmers ended their lives in AP and Telangana in 2014 alone and over 85 per cent of them are from the rain-fed districts of Telangana and Rayalaseema. Most are small, marginal tenant cotton farmers in Telangana and groundnut farmers in Rayalseema,’’ said HRF general secretary V.S Krishna.
Mr. Krishna and HRF Guntur unit secretary G.S Nageswara Rao visited three families in Piduguralla and Dachepalli mandals in the district on December 6 and found that even a month after the farmers’ suicide, the three-member committee has not conducted an inquiry.
In the case of Sheik Saida Ali (45) of Kesanupalli village in Dachepalli mandal who committed suicide on October 29, 2011, the committee had not visited even after three years. Mr. Ali had a mounting debt of Rs.4 lakh, had suffered due to repeated crop losses and was forced to end his life unable to bear the pressure from his debtors.
“Both the AP and Telangana Governments must at least now stop underplaying the extent of the agrarian crisis and initiate concrete steps to alleviate the situation. It must be ensured that all cases of reported farmers’ suicides are inquired into by the three-member divisional verification committee at the earliest,’’ Mr. Krishna said.
The HRF also demanded that both the State Governments bring about a comprehensive Drought Relief Code’ which would consist of measures that must be implemented towards effective drought relief and mitigation. The code should also have the duties of the State to the people affected by drought and the rights and entitlements of those who suffer from drought.
