PM moved by farmers' plight

Nagpur, July 1 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who concluded his two-day tour to Vidarbha today, said his interaction with the kin of farmers, who had commited suicide, had left a deep impresson in his mind, prompting him to provide immediate relief to them.

Talking to newspersons here before leaving for Delhi, Dr Singh said, '''my heart was moved when I heard the harrowing tales of suicide affecting the families which were strugggling to educate their children. The interactions left a deep impression on my mind.'' The farmers, who form the backbone of the economy in Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal, Akola, Washim and Buldhana in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, have been in acute distress due to continuous crop failure, low yields, poor irrigation, medical expenses, cost of wedding in families, delays in getting electricity connections and unremunerative prices, he observed. These reasons too pushed the farmers deep into debt.

Dr Singh heard the woes of the farmers during meetings at Dhamangaon in Amvarati district, Waifad in Wardha district and Yavatmal during his two-day tour to Vidarbha.

Dr Singh, who announced a Rs 3750-crore relief package, said the immediate priority must be to restart the process of credit flow so that farmers can resume normal agricultural activities and obtain regular livelihood. ''For this, we need to address the issue of debt relief and, at the same time, we need to address the long-term issues of enhancing livelihoods by providing additional avenues of income and improving the prospects for agriculture so that agriculture can become a viable enterprise,'' he added.

UNI NNG MAZ RP BD1936