Be equally generous to Telangana farmers

Paddy battle has reached Delhi. The idea of advance announcement of procurement policy is a good suggestion and it would certainly help a government prepare its annual agricultural plan and decide on what kind of crop is to be grown.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, accompanied by a team of ministers and officials, will be meeting Central ministers and officials, demanding that the Centre enhance the quantity of procurement of rice during the ongoing Kharif season. Among other demands are setting up of a tribunal to resolve the contentious issue of sharing of Krishna and Godavari waters.

On record, the Chief Minister claims that the government is now vexed with the delaying tactics of the Centre and, hence, the State government was forced to take to the path of agitation. Hence, he may even stage a dharna in Delhi next week.

But political circles feel that this is only one side of the coin. The TRS which has been planning to foray into national politics wants to use this issue as a launch pad at the national level. The decision to give ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of farmers who lost their lives during the year-long protests against the three controversial farm laws on the borders of Delhi is also seen as a step towards getting noticed at the national level. Undoubtedly, it is a good strategy. If KCR succeeds in making the Centre agree to procure more paddy from the State, it certainly would be a great victory for the government and his TRS party.

But then the question is whether TRS can win over the farmers in Telangana with all such measures. It is estimated that the number of farmer suicides in the State since 2014 was around 4,000. According to the figures put out by the government, 2,066 farmer deaths had taken place between June 2, 2014 and August 31, 2017. Of these deaths, compensation for 1,808 families had been paid based on the decisions by a three-member committee and 1,149 applications were found to be farmer suicides. Of these cases, kin of 389 deceased farmers received compensation on May 21, 2016 and 457 received compensation on October 9, 2017. Another 2,000 applications are still pending. After Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bheema launched in 2018, farmers have been availing Rs 5 lakh insurance under Rythu Bheema.

Naturally, the opposition has started questioning as to why the State government is not clearing the pending applications. They say they appreciate the gesture of KCR towards the farmers of North, but at the same time they point out the case of 1,400 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause separate State and their kin are still waiting for help. The State government should give priority to those who have not received any compensation amount, the opposition demands justly.

Well, whatever the politics of paddy may be, let us hope that the farmers of the State would soon get some good news and hope the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that their suffering ends.