The farming community had heaved a sigh of relief when the government promulgated an order this February, enhancing the compensation from Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh to provide succour to families of farmers in debt.
However, the very purpose of the G.O Ms.No. 62 to provide economic and rehabilitation package seems to have been defeated, going by case studies done by Human Rights Forum in Prakasam district on Sunday.
HRF State general secretary V.S. Krishna, who led a fact-finding team, said: “The situation at the ground level is pathetic.” “In none of the five farmer families the HRF team visited the Verification and Certification Committee, comprising the Revenue Division Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police and the Agriculture Officer concerned, had called on the bereaved families, he said.
After calling on five bereaved families, he said the TDP, which rode to power with its poll promise of making farming profitable and free farmers from the clutches of debt trap, had failed to do enough to prevent farm suicides in the first place. It should at least ensure relief in time to the affected families to mitigate the severe distress situation into which the hapless families had been pushed into after losing their bread winners, he said.
