T-Congress asks KCR to stop farmers' suicide

The Telangana Congress has expressed serious concerns over the rise in incidents of suicide by farmers in the State.

Addressing a joint press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here on Thursday, Leader of the Opposition K Jana Reddy, TPCC President Ponnala Lakshmaiah, MLCs Mohammed Ali Shabbir and Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy demanded that the government act fast in extending financial assistances to the debt-ridden farmers. Jana Reddy said that the government should act at least on humanitarian grounds to help the farmers who are in distress. He alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been making hollow statements and taking no concrete steps to resolve the agrarian crisis.

Showing a news clipping to media persons, Ponnala said that a farmer, Rathore Suresh, has committed suicide by getting electrocuted to a transformer on Wednesday. He said at least this horrific incident should force the government to wake up from its slumber. Delayed monsoon, deficient rainfall and non-implementation of loan waiver promises were forcing the farmers to take extreme steps. He said delay by the government in remitting the first installment of loan waiver has deprived the farmers of crop insurance. He demanded that the government not only waive off the farmers' loans, but also pay an equal compensation which they would have got from insurance companies in case of failure of their crops.

The Telangana Congress leaders threatened to launch massive agitation if the State Government fails to help the farmers.

Earlier, they paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Floral tributes were also paid to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary.