Delay in Telangana State farmers' suicide report

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is waiting for district-wise reports from the Collectors on the number of suicides committed by farmers in the last few years to extend them succor in a mile stone fashion.

Farmers' associations and opposition parties say that over 500 farmers have ended their lives since Telangana state was formed on June 2 last year, due to crop failure on account of drought besides mounting debts. The government, however, puts the number of deaths at less than 70 since June last. Armed with reports from the districts, the KCR government wants to take up the debate in the budget session of the state assembly after it gets official reports from the collectors of the figure for a period of the last nine months.

The delay in reports from the collectors has only exposed the complex and controversial nature of the issue. The teams compiling the report, are required to visit all the villages where deaths were reported, conduct the inquiry to establish whether it was a suicide committed on account of crop failure, debts or for personal reasons.What ever be the delay, the commitment of the KCR government and the concern for the farmers families is notable.

We all know about the recommendations made by the Prof Jayati Gosh commission on farmers' suicides set up by the last YSR government which termed the farmers' suicides as a state crime and a human right violation and wanted the government to take note and provide succor to farmers families on par with that of insurance cover and security given to families of industrial workers, who died in accidents.