Telangana CM to provide Rs 23 crore relief to farmer families

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, November 21

In a humanitarian gesture, the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), who had extended full-fledged support to the agitating farmers of India, extended financial help to families of farmers who died during the year-long agitation on the outskirts of the national capital Delhi.

The farmers have been protesting the repealing of three farm laws that were finally taken back last week.

Incidentally, KCR left for Delhi in a private plane on Sunday evening as it is being speculated that he may visit Tikri Border or some other places where the farmers are still agitating demanding law whereby a Minimum Support Price is fixed for various crops.

Telangana Chief Minister has said he was terribly upset and expressed his condolences to the families of over 700 farmers who lost their lives during the anti-farm law agitation. He said his government would give an ex gratia grant of Rs 3 lakh to each family.

Telangana has set aside a sum of Rs 23 crore that would be distributed to families of farmers who died after a verification process is completed. KCR has expressed the desire to personally hand over the cheques to the victims’ families.

The chief minister has again reiterated his earlier demand to ask the Union Government to settle all pending issues like MSP with the farmers immediately and draw out a list of families who lost a member during the agitation. He has demanded a sum of Rs 25 lakh be given to each such family.

Not just restricting himself to a financial grant, the chief minister also sought an apology from the central government for branding agitating farmers as anti-national and Khalistan supporters. All cases against farmers should be withdrawn, and this must include the cases of sedition. The relief must also come to people in far-flung places, like Disha from Bengaluru, who supported the farmers’ movement.

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