Suicides by farmers: Cong offers aid to kin, slams Faldu
Express
news service : Ahmedabad, Thu Aug 23 2012, 01:43 hrs
The state Congress on Wednesday demanded an apology from the BJP for its
state unit president R C Faldu’s “offensive” remarks on suicides by farmers and
announced a financial assistance of Rs one lakh for the families of each of the
11 farmers who ended life during the current drought-like situation prevailing
in parts of the state. Faldu had on Tuesday said that farmers were not committing suicide because of the negligence of the state government and if they were committing suicide because of the failure of their crops, the state government was not responsible for it.
A total of 11 farmers are reported to have committed suicide since mid-July in the Saurashtra region as they were not getting fodder for their cattle and employment for themselves due to scarce rains.
Addressing mediapersons here on Wednesday, state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia said, “His (Faldu’s) statements amounted to cruel joke with farmers who committed suicide owing to failure of their crops due to drought-like situation and mounting debts”.
He said it was unfortunate that farmers in Gujarat, considered to be well-to-do and financially strong, were committing suicide.
GPP wants Modi to quit, says splurging on festivals
Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) general secretary Gordhan Zadaphia on Wednesday demanded resignation of Chief Minister Narendra Modi for “failing to tackle farmers’ suicide issue” in the drought-hit areas of the state.
He also announced that his party would pay a financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to the families of each of the farmers who committed suicide.
Speaking to mediapersons, he said the state government was totally responsible for driving farmers to commit suicides as it failed to make arrangement of fodder for their cattle and compensation for the failure of their crops.
“If the state government is not able to tackle the situation, it should quit. The people themselves will tackle the present situation,” Zadaphia added.
“The state government does not have the political will to manage the crisis,” he alleged.
The government was not able to manage the situation because it was using the state machinery on programmes and festivals to promote Narendra Modi rather than focussing on public problems, Zadaphia said.
He also demanded that the government should announce a relief package of minimum Rs 5,000 per acre for the farmers.
Govt mum on compensation
Gujarat EDN
IE 23AUG2012
