The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) demanded the State Government to extend the ex gratia of Rs. 6 lakh to all the 1,400 families of farmers who had committed suicide after formation of Telangana.
The TPCC has also demanded the government to waive off the remaining farm loan in one stroke. It has alleged that the government was not responding despite large number of suicides taking place by farmers.
The TPCC held Rytu Bharosa Yatra at Kallakal, Islampur and Donti in Medak district on Tuesday and held public meeting at Narsapur. The yatra was led by TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and participated by party senior leaders like AICC secretary Ramachandra Kuntia, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Madhu Yashki, DK Aruna, V. Sunitha Lakshma Reddy, J. Geeta Reddy, T. Jayaprakash Reddy, Damodar Rajanarasimha, Shabbir Ali, M. Bhatti Vikramarka, D. Sridhar Babu, DCC president V. Sunitha Lakshma Reddy among others. The TPCC has also extended financial assistance to two families of farmers who had committed suicide at Islampur and Donti.
“Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is from this district. But he is failing to create confidence among farmers and arrest suicides,” said Mr. Kuntia, while addressing public meeting. Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the family of Aakula Venkatesh, who committed suicide at Islampur in Toopran mandal, being represented by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, was not visited by officials so far. The same was the case with the family of P. Shankar at Donti in Shivampet mandal, he added, stating that farmers lost three consecutive crops.
He wondered why the government was unable to pay Rs. 8,500 crore in single stake.
