T-Congress To Launch "Save Farmers" Campaign

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Ponnala Lakshmaiah has accused the TRS Government of having failed to prevent suicides by the farmers of Telangana.

Speaking to media persons after chairing the meeting of Kisan Cell at Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday, Ponnala alleged that as many as 233 farmers had committed suicide in the four-month rule of the TRS.

However, the government had failed to help a single one of the families of these 233 debt-ridden farmers.

He said that the TRS Government did not implement the GO Ms No 421, issued by the then Congress Government on June 1, 2004, which envisages financial assistance of Rs 2 lakhs to the families of those farmers who commit suicide.

Ponnala added that although the farm loan arrears are about Rs 22,890 crores, the government had been claiming that the amount was only Rs 16,890 crores.

He said that despite the clearing of 25% of the loan arrears, the banks were not issuing fresh loans, forcing the farmers to clear the complete loan amounts.

He also alleged that the ongoing energy crisis in Telangana was primarily due to the eccentric attitude of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

He said that KCR was not making any efforts to get the 54% of the energy which was assigned to Telangana as per the AP Reorganisation Act, passed by the then Congress-led UPA Government.

When asked whether his Party would continue the "Rythu Bharosa Yatra", he said that the Congress would make all efforts to prevent suicides by farmers in the State.

He appealed to the government to "save the farmers".

Meanwhile, sources said that the Congress would conduct the Bharosa Yatra in the Mahabubnagar district on October 18, while on the next day the yatra would be conducted in the Gajwel constituency of Medak district, represented by the Chief Minister. (INN)