ELURU/ANANTAPUR: Unable to pay their debts, two farmers from West Godavari and Anantapur districts have ended their lives. In Naguladevupadu of Denduluru Mandal (West Godavari), a 20-year-old tenant farmer, Duggirala Ratalu, committed suicide as he failed to pay debts after he suffered losses in the last couple of cropping seasons.
Ratalu had taken a four-acre land on lease near his village and was burdened by loans from private persons. To pay his old debts, he approached some money lenders but was denied loans. Upset over this, Ratalu consumed pesticide late Sunday night. His wife, Ganga Bhavani, immediately shifted him to Eluru Government General Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, in Madinahalli village of D Heerehal Mandal of Anantapur district, farmer Boya Hanumanthu (32) consumed pesticide in his fields on Monday morning and ended his life. Hanumanthu was the owner of a one-acre land and failed to get proper yield in the last few seasons. So, he took huge loans and was under tremendous pressure to repay them.