Telangana farmer families live on the edge

Since the formation of Telangana, Atmakur alone has witnessed 24 farm suicides and the unpredictable monsoon this year has given rise to fears that more will follow. “Drought one year and floods in the next wrecked havoc and damaged the crop, subsequently forcing my husband to take his life. He died leaving behind a loan of Rs 4 lakh and I have been running pillar to post after his death for compensation, but in vain. Even the MLA took the details and assured help, but nothing has come out of it,” said Rajamma (name changed) from Atmakur.

She has three daughters aged 22, 19 and 15, and the eldest needs to have an attendant always as she is physically challenged. Around 90 per cent of the families of farmers in Telangana who committed suicide haven’t received ex gratia from the government. “I was told that an FIR was enough to initiate the process, but the situation at ground level doesn’t reflect the same,” said Kondala Reddy B., a member of a farmers’ collective. Talking about the reasons for delay in compensation, Mr Kondala Reddy adds, “Delay in receiving forensic reports, which at times takes around six months. Non-issuing of Loan Eligibility Cards (LEC) to farmers is a big problem as authorities later state lack of LEC as ineligibility for compensation. It has become a tactic to hide the magnanimity of the crisis.”

The average age of a farmer who has committed suicide in the last two decades is around 36-years and most often, such young farmers have land in their parent’s name, which also is stated as a problem by the Mandal Level Verification Committees and the Divisional Level Verification Committees, he adds.

Speaking about the gap in the number of FIRs lodged and compensation received, principal secretary of revenue B.R. Meena said, “The gap between the records will always be there as the MLVC and DLVC, and the crime bureau work on different criteria. While the crime bureau reports any suspected farmer death under farm suicide, the committees work to find the cause and decide on the ex-gratia... Whether the committee is right or the FIR will always be debatable.” While non-payment is a major problem, no revision in the compensation amount and the policies surrounding it is another issue being dodged by the Telangana government, said G. V. Ramanjaneyulu, executive director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

“The TS should revise compensation akin to the AP, which has raised it to Rs 5 lakh. They should do away with the MLVC and DLVC, as the verification and registration of the cause is already being done at the FIR level and reasons for death are being mentioned in it.”