Unable to repay the mounting debts, two tenant farmers have committed suicide by consuming pesticide in Prakasam district in the last two days.
While a 45-year-old tobacco grower, V. Ramana Reddy, resorted to the extreme step at Inamanamellur village near Madipadu on Friday night, a 42-year-old chilli grower killed himself at Akaveedu, near Racherla in the wee hours of Saturday.
Ramana Reddy had grown tobacco in 14 acres which he had taken on lease. Finding no buyers for his produce at auction platforms, he failed to break-even.
Being clueless as to how he would clear his debts which had mounted to Rs. 20 lakh, besides meeting the educational expenses of his children, he consumed poison, Madipadu Sub-Inspector M. Devakumar said.
Ramana Reddy’s son (17 year old) is studying in a junior college, while his 19-year-old daughter is pursuing B. tech course.
In another incident, S. Ranga Reddy from Akaveedu, near Racherla in Western Prakasam district consumed poison owing to debt burden. His debt mounted to the tune of Rs. 4 lakh in the last four years, due to repeated crop failures.
Giddalur Circle Inspector Md.Firoz said Ranga Reddy, owner of two acres, had taken five acres more on lease. He had raised chilli, sorghum, pearl millet and red gram but could not save them as his bore well had dried up. After the crop failure, Ranga Reddy had suggested his wife to enter a suicide pact. But, the latter refused to toe the line saying that they should not leave their children in the lurch.
Ranga Reddy was missing from home from Friday night. As he did not return home on Saturday morning, his daughter went to the fields, only to find him lying dead there, the CI said, adding that the farmer’s son and daughter were studying in Class X and class VI respectively in Racherla Model School, the SI said.
Unable to pay mounting debts both of them reportedly took the extreme step
