Minister for Panchayat Raj and IT K Taraka Ramarao today directed the officials to provide ex gratia to the kin of farmers who had committed suicides.
Along with Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, the IT Minister held a review meeting at Karimnagar Collectorate on Tuesday. KTR emphasized the need for inculcating self-confidence and moral support to the distressed farmers in the district. He asked the officials to initiate measures to put an end to the menace of micro financing personnel, who used to loot the gullible farmers and poor people with prohibitive interest rates. He also asked the officials to ensure nine-hour power supply during day for agriculture without interruptions. Exhorting the farmers not to resort to extreme steps as the government was behind them, KTR asked the officials not to stop power supply on pretext of non-payment of power bills.
Eatala Rajender directed the officials to admit the wards of deceased farmers into schools within a week. The Government’s aim was to wipe out the tears of farmers, he said. He also offered all possible assistance to farmers in distress through official machinery. He asked the officials to solve fodder scarcity in the wake of scanty rainfall. (NSS)