Date:19/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/19/stories/2005051903650500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Own up responsibility for ryots' suicide, Naidu told

Special Correspondent

Christian Aid report blames Naidu's policies for suicides among farmers

HYDERABAD: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has asked the TDP president, N.Chandrababu Naidu, to own up responsibility for the suicide of farmers in the State "at least now" in the light of the Christian Aid report published in newspapers. The party must also be made to pay up for its "crimes against the poor," the CLP said.

Citing the findings of the report here on Tuesday, G.Muddukrishnama Naidu, spokesperson for the CLP, said the report vindicated the stand of the Congress that the continued suicides of farmers were a result of Mr. Chandrababu Naidu's anti-farmer policies.

Trigger for crisis

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had sought aid from Britain's Department for International Development (DFID), which consequently led to the closure of several agencies supporting farmers. This led to distress in the farm sector and resulted in large-scale suicides, Mr. Muddukrishnama Naidu said, pointing to the report. The farm sector had been so badly crippled that it would take some time for it to turn the corner, he said.

This being the case, the TDP president was trying to blame the Congress Government for the suicide of farmers. The Congress Government, on the other hand, was doing its best to help farmers. Apart from waiver of power dues and free power supply, it had formed an Agricultural Technology Mission and constituted the Jayati Ghosh Commission to probe the reasons for the crisis. Most of its recommendations were being adopted.

Mr. Muddukrishnama Naidu said the Government was extending ex gratia to suicide-hit families unlike in the past. The number of suicides had gone down because of the pro-farmer policies and soon there would be none.