Highlighting that farmers’ issues in the district need immediate attention of the Andhra Pradesh government in the wake of reported suicides, Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary V. Rambhupal on Tuesday said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy must deal with it during his scheduled visit to Anantapur on August 8.
This is Mr. Reddy’s maiden visit to the district after assuming office.
‘19 cases since May 1’
Mr. Rambhupal said 19 farmers had resorted to the extreme step in the district since May 1. He alleged that the district administration was not willing to accept the cases as suicides driven by farm crisis, attributing the deaths to other reasons without looking at the underlying problems.
“During the rule of previous TDP government, 566 farmers ended their lives in Anantapur district, but only 79 farmer families were given compensation. The YSR Congress Party, which had announced ₹7 lakh compensation after coming to power, was behaving in no different way by giving only ₹50,000 to each family for farmer’s suicide,” Mr. Rambhupal pointed out.
Hitting out at the State government for the reported decision to conduct fresh surveys on the causes of reported suicides of farmers before paying compensation, the CPI(M) leader observed that it would take at least three months to sanction compensation if a fresh survey was conducted, adding to the suffering of the bereaved family members. “The YSRCP did not make any complaint about the causes for suicide. Why is it suggesting a fresh survey now?,” he asked.
Attributing the farmers’ deaths to the drought situations prevailing over the district for the past 10 years, Mr. Rambhupal said the kharif this year was the worst season for sowing.
