Chittoor district, which has seen its fair share of farmer suicides, can claim to have at least promptly cleared the ex gratia to the ’ next of kin of the deceased.
Notwithstanding claims made by Opposition parties and NGOs, senior officials of the Agriculture Department maintain that there have been 64 farmer suicides in Chittoor district (including Tirupati and Madanapalle revenue divisions which are part of Tirupati and Annamayya districts). The suicides have been reported mainly from the rain-shadow areas of Madanapalle division, followed by the plains of Nagari.
“As of today, we have cleared ex gratia payment to all the 64 deceased farmers’ next of kin. There is not a single case pending with us, nor have we received any fresh appeals from any family,” says Joint Director (Agriculture) Muralikrishna Reddy.
