Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to announce sops to farmers in view of continuing suicides in Telangana State. Telangana Assembly, which will meet on Tuesday after a brief break for Ganesh Nimmajanam, will take up the farmer suicides as the only agenda for a day-long discussion.
Both the ruling and Opposition parties are prepared for a heated discussion even as farmer suicides continued unabated with two more deaths reported on Monday from Medak district. While official farmer suicides are put at 392, Opposition figures vary from 1300 to 1500, which is disputed by the government.
Sources said that government may consider the Opposition demand for moratorium on collection of debts from farmers by private moneylenders on the lines of the one imposed by the YSR government in 2004 though it would be a difficult task, besides payment of Rs 6 lakh compensation from June 2.
There are no official records of private money lenders since a majority of them are unlicensed.
“It’s difficult to clamp down on unlicensed moneylenders. However, a moratorium may help stop harassment of farmers by private moneylenders for some time,” a senior TRS leader said.
Opposition is also demanding payment of Rs 6 lakh to the kin of the farmers who committed suicide from June 2, 2014 instead of September 19, 2015.
“Government is considering the demand. Since the Cabinet enhanced the ex-gratia on September 19, it comes into effect from the aforesaid date unless stated from retrospective effect,” the TRS leader added.
The CM on Monday stayed put in his camp office owing to Ganesh Nimajjam and held series of meetings with agriculture and other senior officials, it is learnt.
It is learnt that the government will release Rs 112 crore to the victims of hailstorms, ensure subsidised seeds, fertilisers and other needed inputs for the Rabi season on which farmers are pinning their hopes, after a bad kharif season.
