Farmers’ suicides are govt murders: CPI

Demanding that the State government initiate immediate steps to prevent farmers’ suicides, CPM MLA Sunnam Rajaiah alleged that all the farmers’ suicides were State government’s killings only. He also said the farmers were resorting to extreme steps just because of TRS government’s faulty policies.

Participating in a discussion on farmers’ suicides in the Assembly on Tuesday, Rajaiah lamented that some were speaking in an insulting manner towards farmers, who were committing suicides due to withering of crops and debt burden. He asked the government to infuse confidence among the farmers before completion of monsoon Assembly session.

Stating that the percentage of rain in six districts was very low, he said due to lack of rain the area of cultivation was drastically decreased this year. He demanded that the government implement Tenant Farmers Protection Act and announce drought affected mandals. The CPI leader said the ministers were speaking differently everyday on farmers’ suicides and demanded them to make it clear as to how many farmers died. He also demanded that the government announce moratorium on farmers’ debts.

Stating that the farmers’ suicides were painful, CPI floor leader R Ravindra Kumar demanded the State government in the Assembly that it has to initiate steps immediately to avoid suicides. He suggested to the government to appoint a ‘Fact Finding Committee’ to study the ground realities of farmers’ suicides. He also said 70 percent of farmers cultivating cotton were taking huge loans to invest for the crop and were committing suicides as they were not yielding expected crop due to lack of rains. (NSS)