“Please do not resort to extreme steps. Telangana is not born for your deaths. Please bring your problems to our notice. We shall solve them,” was the empathetic appeal made by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to distressed farmers resorting to suicides in the State.
He was responding to the debate on the agrarian crisis in the Assembly on Wednesday.
He said that his government has taken steps including additional power procurement, ensuring quality power, Mission Kakatiya, waiver of loans and taxes on tractors among other things for the farm sector. Noting that no attention had been paid to productivity enhancement over the years, he said the State had produced only 30 to 40 tonnes of sugarcane per acre while the neighbouring Maharashtra had produced 100-140 tonnes.
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Though the State boasted the highest number of seed companies with high-capacity processing units, farmers’ suicides had continued unabated, Mr. Rao said.
Construction of warehouses, increased cotton procurement, MSP for maize and red sorghum, and efficient distribution of seeds were some of the measures taken up by the TRS government. Cotton procurement had been the best in the whole country this year, he said. On opposition’s allegation of interest not being waived, he clarified that whether loan or interest, the repayment would be ensured up to Rs. 1 lakh.
Over Rs.8,300 crore had been released towards loan waiver scheme, and already the government had received documents of waiver related to 24 lakh farmers. Bankers had been instructed not to attempt recovery of old debts.
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On opposition’s demand that the families of earlier suicide victims too be paid compensation, Mr. Rao said 239 farmers’ families identified by previous committees had already been paid the amount.
On funds, Mr. Rao said, the government was making efforts to recover arrears of Rs.4,200 crore commercial tax, while Rs.3,000 crore additional funds were expected from the 14th Finance Commission. A minimum of Rs.2,000 to Rs 3,000 crore was expected from sale of government land.
Earlier, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy of the Congress refuted the blame on his party, and said it was during Congress’ time that the country had achieved self-sufficiency of foodgrains and milk. Rasamayi Balakishan, and S.Ramalinga Reddy spoke from treasury benches.