Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and MP Rajiv Shukla on Monday accused the NDA government of not taking any steps to prevent farmer suicides in the country, though 35 farmers are ending their lives on an average each day in the country.
Speaking to newsmen at the Gandhi Bhavan, Mr Shukla said that 12,360 farmers committed suicide in 2014, 12,602 in 2015 and 14,000 in 2016.
These figures speak volumes about the consistent negligence on part of the NDA government headed by Narendra Modi, Mr Shukla said, adding that it is doing nothing to bail out farmers.
He said though the PM had promised to implement M.S. Swaminathan Commission recommendations in toto, so far no efforts had been made in this direction.
Referring to the Fasal Bima Yojana, he said that in practice, the scheme has proved helpful only to insurance companies and not farmers.
“Farmers paid premium of about Rs 17,184 crore, but in return they got only Rs 6,808 crore towards compensation. This means the insurance companies made a profit of over Rs 10,000 crore,” Mr Shukla said.
He also accused the government of announcing various schemes, claiming that they were for the welfare of farmers but failing to implement these schemes.
Mr Shukla also found fault with TRS government for arresting chilli farmers and even chaining and handcuffing them after they could not control their frustration and resorted to ransacking the Khammam market yard.
“They were only demanding fair prices for their crop. Instead of being offered help, they were handcuffed while being produced before a court,” Mr Shukla said.
