Intensifying its fight for the family members of deceased farmers, the Congress party on Wednesday orgnised a public hearing for the kin of the deceased here wherein many complaints regarding crop loss, loan burden and suicides were received. This was stated by PCC president Prasad Harichandan at a Press conference.
He alleged the State Government had sent a faulty drought report to the Centre in order to suppress its failures and demanded that the State Human Rights Commission probe all farmer suicide cases.
“The report sent to the Centre doesn’t mention about a single case of farmer suicide while 133 farmers have ended their lives due to crop loss and loan burden. Similarly, the State Government has decreased the drought demand to Rs 1,687 crore in the second report while it had demanded Rs 3,500 crore. All these indicate how the Government is concerned about farmers’ problems,” said Harichandan.
He said family members of many deceased farmers informed at the public hearing that their family members committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burden. Family members of 16 deceased farmers were also present at the Press meet and alleged that no Government officer had approached them to know how their kin died and for what.
Regarding Central Assistance, Harichandan said the Union Government and the State Government shared disaster assistance in a 75:25 ratio. If the demand of Rs 1,687 was finalised, the State would get Rs 1,142 crore from the Centre.
“By now, the State Government has already received Rs 742 crore in two instalments from the NDRF. If the current demand is accepted, the State would get Rs 400 crore only. But it is disappointing that the State Government is yet to spend a single pie out of the Rs 742 crore received earlier,” said Harichandan.