AIMIM leader, Akbaruddin Owaisi busted on the Telangana government regarding the farmer suicides in the state and IT minister KTR gave a strong reply to Owaisi.
In the Telangana state assembly discussions held yesterday, Owaisi said that, “Farmer suicides are increasing day by day and the government is not at all concerned about it. Telangana Chief Minister KCR is happily relaxing at his farmhouse, in spite of so much of horrible situations taking place in the state.”
Owaisi further said that, “The government is just saying that, nature is the reason for the farmers to commit suicides. It is not right on the part of the leaders saying that and should take the responsibility of the farmers in the state.”
Reacting to the Owaisi comments, KTR took to the mike and busted on Owaisi saying that, “He is ready to take the suggestions from the opposition parties, if they are genuine. But we are not at all responsible for such baseless allegations of Owaisi. Telangana government is very concerned about the farmers and is doing its best for them.”
Rs.5 lakhs to the families of farmers committed suicide
Meanwhile, agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said that, Telangana state government has announced to pay Rs. 5 lakh to the families of the farmers, who had committed suicide since June 2, 2014, which is the Telangana state formation day.
“When the monsoon set in on June 13 this year, initially there was good rain, but later there was a dry spell for more than 25 days with a huge deficit of minus 66 pc which affected rain-fed crops badly, particularly those raised in red soil. Again later, Monsoon picked up and rain benefited the farmers in August and September and thus registered the overall deficiency to minus 14 pc,” Reddy said.
Srinivas Reddy further said that, “The crops were sown in 35.13 lakh hectares, about 85 pc of the normally-sown area of 41.43 lakh hectares. 26.03 lakh hectares is in rain-fed conditions and 9.1 lakh hectares have irrigation facility, of the total area sown.
Answering to the issue raised by Owaisi saying that, the loan waiver scheme was just implemented once, Reddy said, the Telangana government took all the steps to provide Rs. 8,336 crore loan waiver, stock seeds and fertilisers well in advance and also supply quality power, without any disturbance.
But, as there is drought for two consecutive years, unfortunately, farmers had to commit suicide.
Agriculture minister explains reasons for farmers suicides
Many irrigation projects are in pending and the abnormal depletion of the ground water is leading to the drilling of many bore wells and moreover the minor irrigation tanks and erratic power supply has been neglected since decades. All these reasons are throwing farmers into distress and forcing them to commit suicide.
It is because of these reasons, Telangana government granted the enhanced ex gratia to the families of the farmers committed suicides. Not stopping there, Reddy even said that, Telangana government will try to waive the remaining 50 pc loan at once.
Farmer suicides have become the tough deal in Telangana state these days and now hope, Reddy’s assurance will be implemented soon and thus save the farmers in the state.
(Video Source: i News)
By Phani Ch
