NHRC notice to Telangana over farmers' suicides

The NHRC has issued notice to the Telangana government over media reports that 76 farmers have committed suicide in the state since its formation, a statement said Tuesday.

Taking suo motu cognizance, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said thousands of farmers were caught in a vicious cycle of debt due to low yields or total crop failure in addition to the constant pressure from moneylenders.

"And when it does not rain and crops start failing; all they can think of is escaping it by taking their own lives," the commission said.

Though, the state government did announce a scheme that promised waiving off loans of the farmers, but an order issued by the government Aug 13, 2014 clarified that the scheme covered only institutional loans.

"The commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the farmers," said the NHRC adding that notice had been issued to the chief secretary of Telangana calling for a report within two weeks.