PM assures debt ridden farmers

The Prime Minister said he was trying to understand problems of Vidarbha during his two-day visit of the region.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Government would make sincere efforts to relieve the misery of farmers of Vidarbha region in Maharashtra, who are reeling under debt crisis.

HT Image

"I know you are suffering from the burden of debt and shortage of irrigation and electricity supply and the government would make all efforts to relieve the misery," Singh told families of farmers from the district, who had committed suicide in the recent past.

The Prime Minister said he was trying to understand problems of Vidarbha during his two-day visit of the region and assured farmers that he would "find some way to relieve them from the burden of debt."

"I will make an announcement to this effect before I leave Vidarbha today."

Stressing on the need for existence of ancillary industries along with agriculture in the region, he said the Government would focus on dairy development and horticulture.

Singh said efforts would be made to increase irrigation facilities in various districts of Vidarbha affected by farmers' suicides, in the next three years.

"We will make all efforts to free Vidarbha from accidents and see to it that such incidents do not occur again," he said.