Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir demanded the constitution of a Legislature Committee to probe into the suicides committed by farmers and also to suggest measures to prevent agrarian crisis in future. Both houses, Assembly and Council took up the matter of suicides today.
Initiating the debate on farmers’ suicide in the State Legislative Council on Tuesday, Congress leader Shabbir Ali said that there had been a confusion over exact number of suicides due to farm related reasons since the formation of Telangana. Therefore, based on FIRs, all cases of farmers’ suicide should be re-investigated so as to get the exact statistics. He made it clear that the Congress party never indulged in politics over dead bodies. Therefore, it would support the State Government in all its initiatives to help the farmers and the families of those who committed suicide.
The Congress leader strongly criticized the TRS Government for splitting the crop loan waiver into four installments. While Rs. 4250 crore were paid in 2014-15, this year, second installment amount was further divided into two parts. Since entire dues were not cleared, the banks are not releasing the mortgaged documents, passbooks, gold, etc., to farmers. Therefore, the farmers feel more tortured than relieved due to the crop loan waiver scheme. never said that the crop loan would be waived in installments. At this point, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy intervened and blamed the Congress for farmers’ suicide. Responding to his allegation Shabbir Ali said it was ridiculous on the part of TRS to blame previous Congress regime. “Your government is now 16-month old. Stop behaving like an innocent and start accepting responsibilities,” Shabbir shot back.
