Centre indifferent to farmer suicides: TDP

Rallying behind fasting TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu,leaders of seven parties,including the TDP,met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday and demanded Central intervention to provide relief for the crisis-ridden farmers of Andhra Pradesh. But hours after the meeting,the TDP alleged that the PM’s response was “shocking” and criticised the Centre’s “indifference”. A delegation of the CPM,CPI,TDP,AIADMK,RLD,JD(S) and INLD leaders handed over a letter from Naidu to the PM detailing the plight of the farmers. In the letter,Naidu also mentioned suicides by farmers.After the meeting,CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said the PM had assured to look into the suicides by farmers. Singh,according to Bardhan,pointed out that a decision on granting more assistance would be taken after an official team visiting the state to assess the situation submits its report. The PM had on Tuesday announced a Rs 400-crore advance package to the state.CPM’s Brinda Karat said the delegation conveyed to the PM that package announced by him was insufficient and sought his intervention as the situation in Andhra was very serious with 137 farmers having committed suicide so far.However,TDP leader Nama Nageswara Rao later claimed that it was “quite shocking to observe the response of the PM when informed about the spate of farmers suicides and the deteriorating condition of Naidu”. He said the PM did not give any assurance to arrange for procurement of crops through government agencies. “This indifference towards increasing farmer suicides and deteriorating health of a senior leader protesting for the cause of farmers is highly condemnable,” he said.Naidu’s condition worsened further on Wednesday as he continued to refuse even liquids on the sixth day of his hunger strike. Meanwhile,Y S Jaganmohan Reddy,who is on a 48-hour fast with the same demand for farmers,continued to draw lakhs of people. Two TDP MLAs and 12 Congress MLAs sat alongside him on Wednesday.