05-20-2004, 05:56 AM
<b>9 farmers commit suicide in 4 days</b>
Hyderabad, May 19: As many as nine farmers have committed suicide in the last four days, sending out signals both in the government and the Congress that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddyâs package on farmersâ suicides may boomerang.
Two farmers â G Ayyanna Goud, 45, of Mathurapur village in Mahbubnagar district and K Pullaiah, 36, a cotton farmer in Timmineni Palem of Khammam â committed suicide due to severe indebtedness on Wednesday, a day after the Chief Minister announced the package of Rs 50,000 for settlement of loan and Rs 1 lakh fixed deposit for the kin of the deceased.
On Tuesday evening, even as Reddy was urging farmers not to commit suicide, a farmer couple attempted to end their lives after writing a leter to the Chief Minister. Srinivasa Rao, 45, and his wife Venkata Rathnam of Nagarajupalli in Martutu mandal of Prakasam district said they were ending their lives because of pressure of debtors. They are fighting for their lives in Chilkaluri pet.
Rao had one-acre land where he dug a well and had taken four acre on lease for cultivation. Continuous drought and poor returns forced him to borrow money, which he was unable to repay.
Two farmers from Karimnagar and one each from Medak and Anantapur committed suicide on Monday and one farmer each from Karimnagar and Warangal resorted to the extreme step on Tuesday. Murmurs have begun in the party over the sudden spurt in farmersâ suicides and the Chief Ministerâs âunilateralâ decision on the package, while suggestions came in from farmersâ organisations that rescheduling of repayment of loan, both in banking and private sectors, for a few months could work as an effective preventive measure.
The Telugu Desam has been maintaining a stoic silence over the issue but is closely following the developments to strike at the government. Reddy fought for five years as Opposition leader for a package for the kin of farmers who have committed suicide, made it a prime electoral slogan. On a dramatic note, he announced from the dais of his swearing-in ceremony as Chief Minister on May 14 that no farmer in the State should commit suicide henceforth.
Reddy, who held a preliminary meeting on the issue on May 16, rushed the officials to prepare the package on May 17 following the suicide of P Suresh Kumar, a farmer in Medak. As many as four farmers, two from Karimnagar and one each from Medak and Anantapur committed suicide on Monday and one farmer each from Karimnagar and Warangal resorted to the extreme step on Tuesday.
âWe are only worried that spurt in suicides may lend credence to the TDâs argument that any package would encourage the debt-ridden farmers to end their lives,â a senior Congress leader said.
Congress sources also said the CM did not make any mention about the package when he discussed the Stateâs financial situation with senior Congress leader K Rosaiah and a host of State officials on May 16. âThough the CM signing the first file on free power is justified, other policy decisions need to be discussed in the Cabinet before making any announcement,â another leader said referring to package to prevent suicides and taking up irrigation projects in a big way.
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âThe package is more focussed on relief to the kin of farmers who committed suicides, while it did not contain any preventive measure,â association president Mallreddy said.
Hyderabad, May 19: As many as nine farmers have committed suicide in the last four days, sending out signals both in the government and the Congress that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddyâs package on farmersâ suicides may boomerang.
Two farmers â G Ayyanna Goud, 45, of Mathurapur village in Mahbubnagar district and K Pullaiah, 36, a cotton farmer in Timmineni Palem of Khammam â committed suicide due to severe indebtedness on Wednesday, a day after the Chief Minister announced the package of Rs 50,000 for settlement of loan and Rs 1 lakh fixed deposit for the kin of the deceased.
On Tuesday evening, even as Reddy was urging farmers not to commit suicide, a farmer couple attempted to end their lives after writing a leter to the Chief Minister. Srinivasa Rao, 45, and his wife Venkata Rathnam of Nagarajupalli in Martutu mandal of Prakasam district said they were ending their lives because of pressure of debtors. They are fighting for their lives in Chilkaluri pet.
Rao had one-acre land where he dug a well and had taken four acre on lease for cultivation. Continuous drought and poor returns forced him to borrow money, which he was unable to repay.
Two farmers from Karimnagar and one each from Medak and Anantapur committed suicide on Monday and one farmer each from Karimnagar and Warangal resorted to the extreme step on Tuesday. Murmurs have begun in the party over the sudden spurt in farmersâ suicides and the Chief Ministerâs âunilateralâ decision on the package, while suggestions came in from farmersâ organisations that rescheduling of repayment of loan, both in banking and private sectors, for a few months could work as an effective preventive measure.
The Telugu Desam has been maintaining a stoic silence over the issue but is closely following the developments to strike at the government. Reddy fought for five years as Opposition leader for a package for the kin of farmers who have committed suicide, made it a prime electoral slogan. On a dramatic note, he announced from the dais of his swearing-in ceremony as Chief Minister on May 14 that no farmer in the State should commit suicide henceforth.
Reddy, who held a preliminary meeting on the issue on May 16, rushed the officials to prepare the package on May 17 following the suicide of P Suresh Kumar, a farmer in Medak. As many as four farmers, two from Karimnagar and one each from Medak and Anantapur committed suicide on Monday and one farmer each from Karimnagar and Warangal resorted to the extreme step on Tuesday.
âWe are only worried that spurt in suicides may lend credence to the TDâs argument that any package would encourage the debt-ridden farmers to end their lives,â a senior Congress leader said.
Congress sources also said the CM did not make any mention about the package when he discussed the Stateâs financial situation with senior Congress leader K Rosaiah and a host of State officials on May 16. âThough the CM signing the first file on free power is justified, other policy decisions need to be discussed in the Cabinet before making any announcement,â another leader said referring to package to prevent suicides and taking up irrigation projects in a big way.
......
âThe package is more focussed on relief to the kin of farmers who committed suicides, while it did not contain any preventive measure,â association president Mallreddy said.