PM promises to solve problems of farmers

Families of farmers who committed suicide to get jobs

Making his first visit outside the Capital to commiserate with the families of farmers who committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each and a job to at least one member of these families, besides promising that he would personally go into all farm-related issues.

He also announced five sche-mes to improve their living conditions like provision of drinking water, drainage and education at a cost of Rs 1.65 crore.

Singh was addressing widows and children of the dead farmers after interacting with them in this village, 30 kms from Kurnool in the south western part of the state that had seen a spate of suicides by farmers ruined by debts due to crop failure on account of successive droughts.

On a day's visit to the state, the first after he took over as the Prime Minister, he interacted with widows and children and heard first-hand their tale of woes and the extent to which they had accumulated debts, forcing the people to desperation and suicide.

One woman said her family had accumulated Rs 8 lakh debt and had no means to repay it. Singh gave away cheques to the families as compensation from the state government, which had earlier announced Rs 1.5 lakh as solarium.

He said a minor irrigation tank would be constructed in the village at a cost of Rs 1 crore, which would help cultivate around 500 acres of land. "I myself come am from a farmer's family and I can understand your difficulties, pain and agony," Singh said.

"But from what I have heard and seen here, I have realised that in the last four drought-hit years in Andhra Pradesh, farmers have suffered a lot. I know there can be no compensation for the pain, tragedy and difficulties faced by you but the government will do everything that is needed to make your life successful,' he said.

A visibly hurt Singh said he was aware that numerous farmers were reeling under the burden of debt which had driven many to suicide. The government's efforts would be to ensure that banks work in tandem to provide credit to poor farmers at low interest rates.

Singh told the villagers that the Centre and the state government were committed to improve their living conditions. He also announced upgradation of the upper primary school in the village to higher secondary level. An additional five classrooms would be constructed at a cost of Rs 10 lakh, he said.

On hearing complaints by women, he announced construction of 100 houses at a cost of Rs 25 lakh under the Indira Awas Yojana. Another Rs 20 lakh was provided to improve the drainage system and Rs 10 lakh for safe drinking water.

Singh addressed the gathering in Hindi, which was translated by Chief Minister Y S R Reddy in Telugu. The Prime Minister also announced a package of Rs 45 lakh for the development of Dharmapur ""a backward village in Andhra Pradesh's Mahbubnagar district.

Of the Rs 45 lakh to be spent on development of the village, Rs 16 lakh would be spent for construction of hostel buildings, Rs 8 lakh for construction of four classrooms in the high school, Rs 8 lakh for drinking water, Rs 8 lakh for construction of pucca roads and Rs 5 lakh as special assistance for the village gram panchayat.