TRS, opposition squabble over numbers

Hyderabad: Thirty-five-year old farmer Chennamma committed suicide in Zamistanpur of Mahbubnagar district by hanging from a tree in her farm on Wednesday. According to reports, she took the extreme step after her cotton crop had withered due to the dry spell.

Chennamma joins the official list of about 400 farmers who had committed suicide, as per agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress and Telugu Desam have put the suicide toll at over 1,000.

Both Telugu states are reeling under farmers’ suicides, majority of them living in rainfed and borewell dependent agriculture in Telangana who commit suicide due to erratic monsoon, long dry spells, depleting ground water, crops withering away and mounting debts.

While farmers’ suicides in TS has risen to 419 since agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy claimed 409 deaths a few days ago, so far, 141 farmers deaths have been confirmed in the state as being farm-related by the three-member committee constituted in every district comprising the RDO, DSP and assistant director of agriculture.

But Congress and Telugu Desam have dismissed the government figures. Congress says that the suicides are over 1,300 while TD puts the figure at 1194.

While the Telangana government is paying ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh to the kin of a farmer who committed suicide, the AP government is paying Rs 5 lakh. There is thus a demand by the Opposition in Telangana to increase the ex-gratia to Rs 5 lakh.