HYDERABAD: Stressing the need for optimum manpower and infrastructure support to ‘Rythu Sadhikara Samstha’ in AP and ‘Farmers Debt Relief Commission’ in Telangana for the effective implementation of schemes to prevent farmers’ suicides and for addressing their grievances, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court directed the two States to utilise the services of legal services authorities in identifying the beneficiaries under the two schemes.
“The objective of launching the programmes is to provide an integrated empowered institution, responsible for planning, implementation and monitoring of welfare, development and capacity enhancement to empower the farmers and to take up various measures and activities.
Identification of those who are in need of support of such institutions and their access to the authorities concerned can be easily obtained if the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987 is put into operation for the benefit of such persons. We are of the view that the State Legal Services Authority, District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees would be able to make easy the process of connectivity of the needy persons to the institutions and their activities,” the bench observed.
The bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice V Ramasubramanian was passing this order recently while dealing with a PIL filed by social activists K Siva Ram Reddy, Pakala Srihari Rao, D Narsimha Reddy and others, seeking directions to both the State governments to take necessary steps for preventing farmers’ suicides.
The petitioners sought directions to the authorities concerned to forthwith frame suitable guidelines, policy and to bring all genuine farmers under a common platform by duly issuing them identity cards, to frame a policy for supply of genuine seeds and make provision for stringent punishment to manufacturers and suppliers of spurious seeds.