The Human Rights Forum (HRF) Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) and BC Welfare Association (BCWA) have called upon the State Government to implement G.O. (MS) No.43 that provides financial assistance of ₹7,00,000 to the family of Balleda Narasimha Murthy (58), a farmer of Peddhakhojiria village in Kanchili mandal in the Uddhanam region of Srikakulam district.

Narasimha Murthy ended his life on April 9, 2025, as pressure mounted on him to repay the debts he incurred because of successive crop failure.

A six-member HRF-RSV and BCWA team visited Peddhakojiria in Kanchili mandal recently and interacted with Ms. Neelaveni, wife of the deceased farmer, and their son Praveen. The team also interacted with local farmers and residents of Makarampuram village about the ongoing agrarian crisis in the Uddhanam region.

According to HRF, Narasimha Murthy cultivated cashew and coconut on an acre of his own land and leased an additional eight acres. He paid the lease amount in advance. The HRF said “Narasimha Murthy was denied adequate institutional credit, forced to borrow from private sources at high interest rates to cover farm-related expenses.”

“With several years of scanty rainfall coupled with his coconut crop being ravaged by pest, he was pushed into deep debt. He was under regular and persistent pressure from money-lenders demanding repayment. Driven to utter despair, he ended his life on April 9,” the HRF said.

The HRF alleged that, though more than five weeks have passed since Narasimha Murthy passed away, the three-member divisional verification committee headed by the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) has not visited Peddha khojiria to conduct an inquiry. “The G.O. 43 mandates that the RDO-led committee visit the village, elicit relevant details and forward proposal to the Collector within a week of the death. In effect, the family has received no assistance, financial or otherwise, from the government. This manner of negligence defeats the very purpose of G.O. 43,” the HRF said.

“Over the past year, there have been five deaths (of farmers) in the North Andhra districts, including that of Narasimha Murthy. However, not a single family has been rendered assistance under G.O 43,” the HRF said.

The HRF demanded that the three-member divisional level committee visit Peddha khojiria at the earliest, conduct a proper inquiry and ensure justice to Narasimha Murthy’s family as laid out in G.O. 43.

The fact-finding team that visited Narasimha Murthy’s family include G.Balu, RSV State co-convenor, K.V. Jagannadha Rao, HRF State president K. Anuradha, HRF Publications editor, K. Venkat Rao, HRF Srikakulam district Executive Committee (EC) member. V.S. Krishna, HRF Andhra Pradesh & Telangana Coordination Committee member and B. Dhilli Rao, BCWA State general secretary.

(People battling suicidal thoughts can seek assistance for counselling by dialling number 100.)