TDP is at the fault on farmers' suicides: Agri Minister Kannababu

Amaravati: The State government has stepped in to compensate the families of those 1029 farmers who committed suicide in 2019 (as per NCRB report), said Agriculture Minister K Kannababu and blamed TDP, which was in office till May 2019, for its neglect of agriculture sector, at a press conference at secretariat on Thursday.

The minister slammed TDP leaders for putting all the blame on the State government despite knowing the fact that the opposition leaders were blameworthy of farmers' suicides. He said that the opposition leaders have no moral right to speak on farmer suicides or on other issues, as they have left the farmers in the lurch all through the TDP regime. It is YSRC government that compensated the families of those farmers who committed suicide during TDP rule, said Kannababu.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is committed to the welfare of farmers and thus brought many welfare schemes like Rythu Bharosa, providing free electricity, giving minimum support price and many more. Despite going through the pandemic crisis, the State government came forward to purchase crops from the farmers including tobacco, guava, papaya. Soon, the Rythu Bharosa Centres will be serving as crop purchase centres, which benefits farmers. Opposition leaders should be ashamed for falsely accusing that people are dying in the queue lines, despite the seed distribution being done without any hassles, he said.

Further Kannababu stated that the number of farmer suicides has come down in 2020 with the reforms and welfare initiatives by the Chief Minister. So far, around 157 farmers committed suicides in the State and the three-men committee confirmed 33 suicides.