Farmer extends deadline for suicide bid

Guntur: Mada Siva Prasanna Babu, a farmer hailing from Bukkapuram village under Nadendla mandal limits in Guntur district, went to the agriculture office for a loan on Tuesday but in vain. It may be recalled that that farmer attempted suicide by dousing his body with petrol in the presence of District Collector Kona Sasidhar during the Grievances Redressal Day as he failed to get the bank loan here on Monday.

The farmer was distraught that he had failed to get the loan for setting up a diary though Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu gave his approval for its sanction four months ago. The farmer extended the date of committing suicide to January 29, next Monday. Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Prasanna Babu said, “I went to agriculture office at the Collectorate for a bank loan here on Tuesday. The officials were present. I waited for them for a few hours and returned. The bank officials who assured loan to set up a dairy did not sanction loan. I have to repay Rs 7 lakh to the money lenders”.

Contradicting Prasanna Babu’s claims, deputy director of horticulture department MG Devamuni Reddy said, “Siva Prasanna Babu availed Rs 1.10 lakh under the crop loan waiver scheme and took Rs 1.3 lakh crop loans from the bank. His wife got Rs 30,000 under the DWCRA loan. He availed various benefits from the state government.

Lead Bank Manager M Sudarshana Rao said: “We asked NABARD to sanction loan to Siva Prasanna Babu and it has agreed to sanction Rs 8 lakh loan for purchasing buffaloes through the Grameena Bank.”