Amaravati: Farmers suicide - Nara Lokesh consoles families

Amaravati: TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Monday took part in 'Rythu Kosam' programme in Krishna district and called on the families of the farmers who committed suicides due to severe losses and mounting debts in the recent heavy rains and cyclone.

Lokesh interacted with the grief-stricken families and paid tributes by garlanding the photos of the deceased farmers. He said that the suicides would not have taken place, if the government had taken timely steps to provide compensation to the hapless farmers.

Nara Lokesh visited damaged crop fields at Majeru in Challapalli area. He criticised the YSRCP government for its indifference to the farmers' woes. He deplored that while the debt-ridden farmers were committing suicides in view of greater losses in recent heavy rains, the Chief Minister is not waking from his slumber in his Tadepalli palace.

Over 766 farmers committed suicide in just 19 months of Jagan Reddy rule. The TDP would continue its fight against this fake rule till justice is done to the farmers.

At Chintalamada village in Avanigadda Assembly constituency, Lokesh paid homage to deceased farmer Sambasiva Rao by garlanding his photo. He tried to console the farmer's family members. They told him that Sambasiva Rao took five acres on lease for cultivation. The entire crop was damaged in the heavy rains. The looming debts had claimed the life of Rao eventually. They did not receive compensation in time.

Lokesh demanded that the government give a crop compensation of Rs 30,000 per hectare for normal crops and Rs 50,000 per hectare for commercial crops like chilli. The Agriculture Minister is watching and recording dances at a time when the farmers are facing a 'life and death' situation on account of crop losses.

Over 50 lakh acres were damaged in the kharif season and the farmers suffered a loss of Rs 10,000 crore of their investment. The day is not far when the people would rise in revolt against the inefficient and arrogant regime, the TDP leader said.

Accusing the YSRCP of breaking its promises, Lokesh said that the Chief Minister chanted the slogan 'Rythu Rajyam' before the elections but after coming to power he made sure that no farmer could survive in his negligent rule.

Harvest-ready crops were lost in the heavy rains and the cyclone.

When such damage was caused in Titli and Hudhud, Chandrababu Naidu directly visited the field and ensured immediate compensation. Under the present regime, farmers are losing all hopes and eventually committing suicide. Lokesh warned of a serious backlash from the farmers, if government goes ahead with fixing smart meters on the agricultural pump sets.

In a smart way, the Chief Minister is using smart meters in order to stop the current the moment the farmers would not be able to pay bills. The CM promised to go on increasing benefits but what he is doing now is to go on increasing all sorts of burdens in the forms of increased bills and charges.

Current charges are increasing, petrol and diesel rates are increasing, cement and sand rates are going up and even the rates of quarter bottles are skyrocketing.

The TDP leader was deeply moved at the sad conditions of the deceased farmers. He decided to provide Rs 1 lakh assistance each to the families of Sambasiva Rao, Krishnam Raju, Venkata Krishnaiah and Adi Seshu who committed suicides in Avanigadda area.