Compensation To farmers families: Nalgonda Collector Urged To Intervene

To,
The District Collector
Nalgonda

Sir,

Sub: Compensation to families of farmers who have committed suicide – economic support and rehabilitation package under G.O Ms No. 421 – verification not done – regarding

We wish to draw your attention to cases of farmers’ suicides in Nalgonda district where the administration has not yet completed the verification process so as to provide relief to family members of farmers who have committed suicide. You are aware that the government through the G.O.Ms.No.421 Rev DA-II Dept., dated 1/6/2004 has provided for financial assistance as an interim relief package to support distressed family members of farmers who have committed suicide. This assistance is in the form of an ex-gratia of Rs. 1.00 lakh besides loan settlement up to a sum of Rs.50, 000 as one-time settlement to creditors.

Following reports in the media of farmers’ suicides, an HRF team visited several villages in Nalgonda district and spoke with family members of the deceased as well as neighbours. We collected facts of four cases which are:

1. Boska Muthiah (35) of Boskavarigudem in Tipparthi mandal who committed suicide on November 21, 2011.
2. Katteboyina Madhavi (27) of Bodapadu in Gurrampadu mandal who took her own life on November 16, 2011.
3. Siliveru Narsimha (33) of Chamaledu in Gurrampadu mandal committed suicide on November 25, 2011 and
4. Sappidi Vidyasagar Reddy (28) of Nomula village in Nakrekal mandal committed suicide on November 27, 2011.

All of them were farmers belonging to the small and marginal category and had taken their lives by consuming pesticide. All were driven to desperation because they had run up accumulated debts of not less than Rs 2.5 lakh due to successive failure of crops, principally of cotton. Since formal credit had dried up over the years, their borrowings were mostly from the informal sector of money lenders. We are convinced that the families/next of kin of all four deceased are eligible for the financial assistance and rehabilitation package evolved as support in such cases under G.O Ms No. 421.

 In all four cases it can easily and clearly be established that there was “correlation between farm-related operations, economic distress and social humiliation eventually leading to suicide.” The provision of ‘social cushion’ including measures like admission of children to social welfare hostels, house allotment under appropriate government schemes, pension and other economic support as is deemed fit by the administration may also be extended to them. This relief will help in some small measure in pulling these helpless families out of acute distress.

However, the process of verification and certification of the event of suicide has not even been carried out in any of these four cases. We heard the common complaint that even the MRO and agricultural officer had not visited the village after the tragedy for the preliminary determination of facts. The three-member committee headed by the RDO which has to review the first report has also not visited any of these villages. This has thereby resulted in the families who have already lost much, being denied effective and timely remedy.

According to estimates, over 18 farmers have committed suicide in Nalgonda district since September-end this year. This could well be an underestimate. We were given to understand that the verification process has also not been set in motion in most of these other cases as well.

Kindly issue appropriate instructions to the RDOs and other officials concerned and ensure that all cases of reported farmers’ suicides are enquired into at the earliest and justice is done to the families.

Yours truly