Hyderabad: The number of farmers ending their lives continued to rise in the state, despite assurances from the government that it will come to their rescue.
As many as nine farmers committed suicide across the state on Wednesday, five of them aged over 50 years.
Three farmers from Karimnagar district, two from Nalgonda and one each from Medak, Mahbubnagar, Adilabad and Ranga Reddy districts took the extreme step, while a farmer from Nizamabad died of cardiac arrest.
Edala Rajeshwari, 36, a woman farmer from Regonda village, Husnabad mandal of Karimnagar and Pochaiah, 45, from Gujjal Palli village of Saidapur mandal committed suicide by hanging themselves.
A 26-year-old Uppal Ashok consumed pesticide in Swarnapali village of Karimnagar.
Marla Narsimha, 50, of Jogudapalem village in Nalagonda district attempted suicide by consuming pesticide. His family members summoned a 108 ambulance, but he died while on the way to hospital.
Another farmer, Advaat Lakhpati, 63, from Kondrapole was found dead near his cotton field.
A 60-year-old Kulanga Shankarfrom Medak, 55-year-old Katamaneni Narasimhulu from Mahbubnagar hanged themselves to death.
Rajamalayya, 56, from Sirpur mandal of Adilabad died while he was being treated at a hospital after he consumed pesticide.
Ex gratia cut-off date is June 22
The TS government has decided to pay the enhanced ex-gratia of Rs 6 lakh with retrospective effect from June 2 last year, when the state was formed, to the families of farmers who committed suicide.
The state Cabinet on September 19 had decided to hike the ex-gratia from Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, which would come into effect from that day.
However, the decision had evoked sharp criticism from the Opposition and farmers’ associations, which demanded the enhanced ex-gratia with retrospective effect.
There was confusion in the Legislative Assembly on this issue on Wednesday when Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao referred to the retrospective effect as a passing remark in his speech but not as a statement.
However, agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy clarified during his reply to the debate on farmers’ issues that the government had decided to pay enhanced ex-gratia with retrospective effect from June 2, 2014.
Earlier, when Mr Rao said, “We have already issued cheques to about 239 farmers’ families with the enhanced ex-gratia. If you want, I can send the list of farmers and details about their villages, districts etc.”
Mr Rao also announced that the government would bring in the TS Money Lenders Act, 2015 in this Assembly session itself – since the Act made in undivided AP had lapsed – to check private moneylenders from charging higher interest rates and adopt coercive methods to recover loans.
