Former minister in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on Sunday lashed out at chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for saying that not all suicides by farmers can be attributed to crop losses or falling into debt trap.
Chandramohan Reddy told media persons at the NTR Trust Bhavan that the statement by the Chief Minister made at Tirupati on Saturday evening was shocking and an insult to the farmers. Describing the comments as an attempt by the government to wash its hands off its responsibilities towards the farmers and their problems, the former minister stated that the government was attempting to cover its negligence by making such comments.
Chandramohan Reddy demanded that the government must release a revised package to boost the morale of the distressed rain-hit farmers in the state, which was at an all time low.
The TDP leader also accused that the Congress government, which projected itself as a farmer-friendly government, had not taken any step to provide solace to those farmers who had lost their crops in recent floods. He added that the government had tried to wash its hands off the issue by announcing a meager relief package which did not even fulfil 50% of the farmers' need.
Chandramohan Reddy further added that the growing suicides among the farmers should act as an eye-opener for the government, and it should revise its assistance package.
He further added that planned 'Rythu Kosam' open public meeting on December 30th in Guntur will an answer to the Chief Ministers words that most of the farmers' suicides were not related to crop losses.