TRS Must Change Stand On Farmer Suicides: Congress

Senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir today advised the TRS government to change its stand on farmers' suicides and help the community.

Addressing the media along with Kisan Cell Chairman M Kodanda Reddy, Shabbir Ali said that while 1,500 farmers had committed suicides, the government was trying to portray the figure as just a third of that. After continuous denials, the agriculture minister admitted to just 409 suicides, and extended assistance to only 166 farmers. Even the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) had recorded 1,127 cases of farmer suicides based on FIRs, he said.

He also slammed ministers Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageshwara Rao for their recent statements on the issue of farmers' suicides, and said that politics over issues like suicides would cause further damage to the poor farmers and their families.

The Congress leader also asked the TRS leaders to explain what they did for the families of the farmers who had committed suicides. While the government allocated over Rs. 500 crores for various departments for the purchase of new vehicles, including Rs. 28 crores for the upgradation of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's convoy, it did not provide any relief to the farmers, he alleged.

"The TRS government is ready to spend money on ostentation and leisure, but is hesitant to revise GO 421 to increase the compensation amount from Rs. 1.5 lakhs to Rs. 5 lakhs," he said.

Shabbir Ali said that everyone felt good when KCR took ownership of treatment for Pratyusha, the girl who was tortured by her father and step-mother, and invited her for lunch and also gave her Rs. 5 lakhs as assistance. However, he was behaving differently when it came to farmers' suicides. Did the farmers who killed themselves not have families or daughters, he asked.

"I'm told that KCR has actually directed his party workers not to visit the farmers' families," he said.

He also criticised KCR's China visit, and said that the Chief Minister could not offer Telangana's land to a country which was not too friendly with India. Further, he said that Telangana's land and resources should be utilised for the gain of the local people and youth. They were not meant for free distribution among foreigners.

Shabbir Ali demanded that the State Government convene a special session of the Telangana Assembly and Council to discuss the farmers' issues. He said that the Congress was willing to give in writing that it would not criticise the government.

"We will give our suggestions and accept the best possible package for the farmers. Everyone should unite on this issue to send a positive message and a specific assurance to the affected farmers that they are not alone. We must prevent further suicides," he said.

Kodanda Reddy accused the Agriculture Minister of speaking lies on the issue of farmers' suicides almost every day.