Government To Blame For Farmer Suicides: Congress

The Telangana government came under scrutiny from Congress leaders including MLC and Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council, Mohammad Ali Shabbir, for allegedly neglecting farmers in the State.

Shabbir Ali accused the State government of diverting Rs. 750 crores input subsidy granted by the Centre for farmers, and demanded that it clear crop insurance dues, pending farmers loans, input subsidy dues besides crop losses dues to unseasonal rains in September last. Shabbir Ali added that the CM failed to honour the promises he made in the Assembly clearing the dues.

Welcoming Supreme Court's directive to the government to formulate a comprehensive national policy on farmers within 30 days, the Congress MLC said that the SC verdict was a slap to the KCR-led government.

He blamed the government for the suicides as the it supposedly failed to deposit 25% of the crop insurance amount in farmers' bank accounts. While 3,000 farmers committed suicides since 2014 in Telangana, the TRS government was busy promoting industrial growth, he lamented.