Kin of eligible farmers given aid, Telangana tells Hyderabad High Court

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has informed the Hyderabad High Court that all eligible families of farmers who committed suicide in Medak district, were extended financial assistance under the Farmer Suicidal Death scheme. While filing an affidavit seeking closure of a contempt case, the district collector Rahul Bojja submitted that re-enquiry was conducted as per court orders and all requests from ineligible families were rejected.

The High Court had directed the authorities in 2012 on a PIL filed by Pakala Srihari Rao, to reconsider the cases of all deceased farmers, whose legal representatives had not furnished the necessary information. The petitioner was directed to look into the matter so that the legal representatives of the deceased farmers can file their applications and provide the necessary information as required under the G.O. to seek financial assistance under the scheme.

The petitioner moved a contempt case against the authorities alleging that they had deviated from the court order in conducting re-enquiry. The collector submitted that as directed by the High Court, the rejected proposals of family members who had applied for Farmer Suicidal Death have been re-enquired through division level verification committees, while providing the opportunity for placing their facts for rejection and provided benefits under the scheme as per their eligibility.

The collector said that there was no deviation from the High Court order in the re-enquiry as alleged by the petitioner and the committees have made all efforts to identify the eligible families.

Court boycott from February 2 to 4

The Telangana Advocates Joint Action Committee will boycott work in all courts from February 2 to February 4 to press its demand for a separate High Court and Bar Council for the state.

The JAC took this decision on Saturday in a meeting attended by presidents and secretaries of bar associations and Bar Council members.

TAJAC leaders M. Rajender Reddy, T. Sriranga Rao and Konda Reddy said the committee had called advocates to participate in a ‘Chalo High Court’ programme on February 3.

Memoranda would be submitted to the Chief Justice and all judges demanding that steps be initiated bifurcate the High Court. The committee would demand that till a separate HC is set up for AP, no judicial appointment should to be taken up at the High Court and for the subordinate judiciary.
 
Scrapping model farmer challenged

K. Krishnamurthy, president of Navyaandhrapradesh Adarsha Rythu Association and two others have moved a PIL before the Hyderabad High Court, questioning the decision of the AP government to appoint Multi Purpose Extension Officers (MPEOs) in place of Adarsha Rythu (model farmer) system in the state.

They submitted that the state government had abolished the Adarsha Rythu system with the aim of accommodating ruling party workers and had taken unilateral decision without finding the illegality in the Adarsha Rythu system.

They said that the Congress government had introduced the system to strengthen the extension services at village levels  to achieve good result in crop production and as many as 29,439 Adarsha Rythus were appointed across the state with a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000. The government issued a GO in December, 2014 granting permission to 6,354 MPEOs.