Hyderabad, Oct 1 (NationPress) The working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), K.T. Rama Rao, stated on Wednesday that there has been a resurgence in farmer suicides in Telangana under the Congress administration, with over 700 farmers having taken their own lives in the past two years.

The former minister pointed out that during the tenure of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), the state witnessed a historic 96 percent decline in farmer suicides, as documented by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

KTR informed the press that initiatives like Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima ushered in a transformative period for farmers in Telangana, granting them unprecedented financial security and confidence.

The BRS leader emphasized the significant progress achieved under KCR’s leadership, highlighting that the situation has drastically worsened since the Congress took control. “At the conclusion of KCR’s term, farmer suicides had plummeted to merely 56 cases. Yet, in only two years of Congress governance, we have witnessed more than 700 tragic farmer deaths. This starkly illustrates the Congress party's inefficacy and lack of humane governance,” he remarked.

Citing data from the NCRB, KTR noted that during KCR’s decade-long administration, Telangana experienced the most substantial reduction in farmer suicides across the nation. In 2014, the state recorded 1,347 farmer suicides, which fell to just 56 by 2023, representing a remarkable 95.84 percent decrease. In 2014, Telangana accounted for 10.9 percent of farmer suicides nationwide, but by 2023, this figure had decreased to 0.51 percent.

Elaborating on the factors contributing to this progress, KTR stated that programs such as Rythu Bandhu direct income support, Rythu Bima insurance, extensive irrigation projects, and round-the-clock free power supply to agriculture have provided farmers with security, stability, and self-assurance.

KTR called on the rest of the country to take note of Telangana's achievements. “In neighboring Maharashtra, where the BJP governs, farmer suicides remain alarmingly high. The pressing question is: if Telangana can achieve this remarkable transformation, why can’t Maharashtra and other states? Every government must guarantee that no farmer perishes due to lack of support,” he asserted.

The BRS working president concluded by stating that for farmers to live with dignity and security, and for welfare-centric governance to persist, Telangana requires KCR back as Chief Minister.