PM assures to look at Babu's demands

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday expressed his sympathy to Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and said that the reports of alleged suicides by rain-hit farmers in the state would be looked into.

Dr Manmohan Singh’s assurance came after a delegation of leaders of seven political parties met him and brought to his notice to the plight of farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to media persons after emerging out of the meeting with the Prime Minister, CPI leader A B Bardhan said that the delegation handed a copy of the open letter written by Mr Naidu on the condition of the farmers who were reeling under successive natural calamities which have hit the state recently.

Mr Bardhan revealed that the Prime Minister told the team that he would look into the issue after the Central team, currently on a visit to Andhra Pradesh returns to the National Capital and files its report on the issue. Mr Bardhan added that the Prime Minister said that all the points raised by Mr Naidu in his letter would be looked into.

Leaders from the CPI(M), CPI, TDP, JD(S), RLD, AIADMK and MDMK were part of the delegation which met Dr Manmohan Singh and brought to his notice reports suggest that as many as 137 farmers have committed suicide so far.

The team also informed the Prime Minister that the Rs 400 crore relief package from the National Contingency Fund announced on Tuesday was way too short to meet the demands of the farmers.

The delegation demanded that farmers should be given minimum Rs 10000 per acre for paddy, Rs 15000 per acre for other crops in the state.