Jairam Ramesh – MP, Gen Sec., Congress:

Today on Day 50 of Bharat Jodo Yatra Rahul Gandhi interacted with farmers & farmers’ representatives from different parts of Telangana.

The following issues were highlighted:

1. Tenant farmers suicides

2. Lack of crop insurance & disaster relief

3. Dharani land records portal

30% farmers in Telangana are tenant-farmers & they account for 80% of suicides since 2014 (> 6500 officially).

TRS Govt has failed miserably to provide any relief to bereaved families.

Rahul Gandhi met with widows who are still struggling to make ends meet as women farmers

Since Kharif 2020, Telangana doesn’t have any crop insurance scheme nor has it given any compensation for disasters through 2005 NDMA Act.

This has deprived lakhs of farmers of compensation when there is crop loss, the frequency of which has increased due to climate change

The much advertised Rythu Bandhu does not benefit tenant farmers & cultivators in any way.

Rahul Gandhi assured that tenant farmers and those who till the land must be registered & get full benefit of govt schemes, including bank loans, direct income transfer & crop insurance.

Farmers also complained of the Dharani scheme in Telangana. It’s criminal that a scheme to modernise land records is dispossessing tens of thousands of Dalits, Adivasis and other Backwards castes of their own lands.

Rahul Gandhi also promised that the Congress manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana will have a very sharp focus on farming issues and will be prepared after the widest possible consultations with all stakeholders