HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to submit a report informing about the compensation paid and payable to bereaved families of the farmers who had committed suicide due to financial problems related to agricultural income.
It also directed petitioner Pakala Srihari Rao, an agriculturist, to submit list of names of suicide victims who did not get compensation as announced by the state government and the Prime Minister’s assistance, and also the list of beneficiaries.
A division bench of the High Court comprising chief justice Madan B Lokur and justice P V Sanjay Kumar was dealing with a petition seeking court’s direction to the state government to ensure release of Rs 50,000 compensation announced by the Prime Minister to the 384 bereaved farmers’ families, in addition to the state package.
The petitioner pointed out that the PM’s assistance was paid only to 14 families out of a total of 400 to whom the state government’s benefits which included an ex gratia of ` 1lakh, loan settlement up to Rs 50,000, employment to family member, free education to children were released in accordance with GO 421.
The bench directed the state government to produce all the details and posted the matter for hearing to July.