Accusing the State government of being responsible for the collapse of the agricultural sector in Kerala, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Sunday assured steps to bring the problems faced by the farmers here to the notice of the Union Ministers for Agriculture and Finance.
Visiting the family of Rajeev, a paddy farmer from Niranom in Upper Kuttanad who had committed suicide the other day, Mr. Muraleedharan said the farmers were not receiving the benefits of the climate-based crop insurance scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Fazal Bima Yojana. A discussion with the farmers also revealed that the State government was not making any sincere efforts to implement any of these schemes.
“The people who catch flights to wipe off the tears of farmers in Delhi have been unable to see the problems faced by the farmers of Kuttanad. Things have come to such a situation that these farmers have no other option but to hire harvesting machines from Tamil Nadu while the income they receive post harvest is not sufficient enough to pay even the rent,” he said.
It was so unfortunate that the State government had not provided assistance to the family of Rajeev, he added.
