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Collector sanctions ex-gratia to 232 ryots’ families
Collector Sanctions Ex-Gratia to 232 Ryots’ Families, Mukha Mukhi’ Programme. For the first time in 2009, the amounts were paid during the ‘Mukha Mukhi’ programme at the initiative taken by the Caring Citizens’ Initiative of Siddipet in the presence of officials MLAs, Prof M Kodandaram and Prof. Rama Melkote.
Payment was delayed for eight years despite innumerable pleas
- First such approval after a GO issued in 2004
- Many people still waiting for relief
Medak: District Collector Smita Sabharwal has sanctioned ex-gratia pending payment for eight years to families of 232 farmers who committed suicide. This is the first instance of approval of such compensation after GO 421 was issued on June 1, 2004. Yet many ryots’ families are still waiting for ex-gratia. The sanction of compensation has been made possible thanks to the efforts of representatives of NGOs, people’s/farmers’ organisations and electronic/print media. Officials were unmoved by the pleas of the families since 2005, even as the kith and kin kept meeting them with appeals.
For the first time in 2009, the amounts were paid during the ‘Mukha Mukhi’ programme at the initiative taken by the Caring Citizens’ Initiative of Siddipet in the presence of officials MLAs, Prof M Kodandaram and Prof. Rama Melkote.
In 2010 a public hearing was conducted after CCC-HMTV secured information through RTI on farmers’ suicides during 1995-2010 in the district. Siddipet RDO Hanumanth Rao promised to settle the ex-gratia payment within three months. Following Collector Suresh Kumar’s intervention, compensation was sanctioned, for the first time by the government, to 14 families, which had been rejected earlier.
After the 200 suicide-victims’ families staged a dharna at Indira Park, Hyderabad, several MLAs and MLCs, present, promised to raise the issue in the House. In 2011, to further exert pressure on the government, a Forum of Suicide Victims’ Families was formed in Siddipet. It made innumerable representations to RDO and Collector. In 2012 during a programme organised by TV 9 and Rythu Swarajya Vedika MLA T Harish Rao and social activist Sajaya raised the issue. Narmala Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar consoled the families and Harish Rao took up the issue at DRC meeting. Following a petition filed in 2012 by social activist Srihari Rao, the AP High Court directed a review of the suicide cases during 1998-2012. After an appeal by newspapers, in coordination with the Human Rights Forum and teachers/farmers organisations, 632 victims’ families re-submitted their applications for payment of ex-gratia. After this compensation was received by 18 families.
Although the payment got delayed for various reasons during the tenure of Collector Dinakar Babu, Smita Sabharwal, soon after taking over recently, expedited action in approving compensation.
