Farmer suicides: Unilever to support the kin

Warangal: Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company has come forward to support family members of farmers who have committed suicides in the district.

Amita Dholakia Chaudhury, the Director of Global Diversity at Unilever, on Friday visited Akkampet village in Atmakur mandal in the district. She participated in a programme arranged by Hanamkonda-based Sarvodaya Youth Organisation and interacted with wives of farmers who had committed suicide unable to bear debt burden.

She enquired about the causes of suicide deaths of farmers. The women explained about the poor marketing system, lack of irrigation, non-availability of crop loans, and lack of profitable support price to the produce as the reasons behind major suicidal deaths of farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, Amita Chaudhury said that her visit to the village has helped to understand rural economy and the conditions of farmers’ lives. She promised to provide all possible help to the affected families.

Sarvodaya Youth Association Secretary Pallepadu Damodar informed that Amita Chaudhury has agreed to provide interest free loans worth Rs 50,000 to about 40 families of farmers who had committed suicide.

He said the loans provided to the families would be used for buying cattle and to set up small enterprises such as provision stores. The loans would be provided in January and the beneficiaries should properly use them to rebuild their lives, he suggested.

Amita Chaudhury later visited a tailoring training centre run by Sarvodaya Youth Association here. She distributed sarees to widows who came from from nearby villages.

Vikram, Meghana and Veeru, family members of Amita Chaudhury, and Sarvodaya staff Hepshiba, Shantaraj, Ravinder, Mahesh and others were present.