Hyderabad, Oct 1 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday claimed that farmer suicides in Telangana are rising again under Congress rule, with more than 700 farmers ending their lives during the last two years.

The former minister stated that during former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s (KCR) tenure, farmer suicides in the state had fallen by a record 96 per cent, the sharpest decline in the entire country, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

KTR told media persons that schemes like Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima had ushered in a golden era for Telangana’s farmers, providing unprecedented financial stability and confidence.

The BRS leader said that Telangana had achieved remarkable progress under KCR’s leadership, but the situation has completely deteriorated after Congress assumed power. “By the end of KCR’s term, farmer suicides had reduced to just 56 cases. But in just two years of Congress rule, over 700 tragic farmer deaths have been recorded. This is a stark reflection of Congress’ inefficiency and inhuman governance,” he said.

Quoting NCRB data, KTR said that during KCR’s decade-long rule, Telangana achieved the steepest reduction in farmer suicides in the country. In 2014, Telangana recorded 1,347 farmer suicides. By 2023, this number had dropped to just 56, marking a 95.84 per cent decline. In 2014, Telangana accounted for 10.9 per cent of farmer suicides nationwide, but by 2023, this fell to just 0.51 per cent.

Explaining the reasons for this progress, KTR said that initiatives such as Rythu Bandhu direct income support, Rythu Bima insurance cover, large-scale irrigation projects, and 24-hour free power supply to agriculture gave farmers security, stability, and self-confidence.

KTR urged the rest of the nation to learn from Telangana’s example. “In neighbouring Maharashtra, where the BJP is in power, farmer suicides continue at alarming levels. The real question is: if Telangana could achieve this transformation, why can’t Maharashtra and other states? Every government must ensure that no farmer dies due to lack of support,” he remarked.

The BRS working president said that if farmers are to live with dignity and security, and if welfare-oriented governance is to continue, Telangana needs KCR back as Chief Minister.

–IANS

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