No relief for dead farmers!

BENGALURU: Confusion reigns about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s announcement on hike in payment of ex-gratia amount from Rs 2 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs to be paid to the kin of farmers who committed suicide with none in the state government categorical about whether the enhanced amount would be paid with retrospective effect or to families of growers who end their lives in future.

Efforts by Deccan Chronicle to elicit an answer from senior bureaucrats and ministers failed were in vain. Sugar minister H S Mahadeva Prasad said he too was confused about implementation of the CM’s announcement, and said the issue would be clarified with the leader on Tuesday.

A senior officer opined that a clear picture might emerge after the government issues an order to this effect. Since the government had paid an increased compensation of Rs 2 lakhs from Rs 1 lakh with effect from April 1, 2015, the same rule could apply from that day itself. However, the government was yet to workout new guidelines, he added.

On record, over 525 farmers’ have committed suicide across the state since April this year. The number of suicides increased between June and August which forced the government to increase the ex-gratia amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakhs.

Mahadeva Prasad clarified that the ex-gratia of Rs five lakhs would be given only to those farmers' kin whose death was due to the agrarian crisis. Committees headed by assistant commissioners should probe the deaths and recommend ex-gratia in case the extreme step was driven by agrarian crisis like failure of crops. The kin of all 520 odd deceased farmers are unlikely to get '5 lakhs, he said adding that he would clarify the issue with Siddaramaiah.

Another senior minister opined that it would be better to release '5 lakhs to kin of all farmers who have committed suicide since April 1, 2015 or else it could trigger protests by farmers. Spending a few crores of rupees would be better than becoming bait for the opposition parties again. “When the image of Congress has been resurrected after  Rahul’s visit, it is not advisable to suffer further damage,” he added.