Siddipet: Widow of Gajwel farmer pleads for support after husband’s suicide

After her husband died by suicide due to crop failure and debts, Sravanthi from Gajwel has been struggling to survive with two children. Denied welfare benefits, she is burdened with debt and pleads for government support and livestock aid.

Siddipet: Unable to clear mounting debts, farmer Chiguru Swamy (36) had died by suicide in February 2024 at Bangla Venkatapur village in Gajwel mandal. He had cultivated paddy in 30 guntas of land, but the crop dried up due to erratic power supply. His death left his wife Sravanthi (25) burdened with Rs. 4 lakh debt and two young sons aged six and four to care for.

The family owns just 1.24 acres of assigned land that is cultivable only during years of good rainfall. With no other source of income, Sravanthi applied for widow pension in April 2024, two months after her husband’s death. Over a year later, she is still waiting for assistance despite repeated visits to the Tahsildar’s office and local panchayat.

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As private lenders began pressuring her to repay debts, she took an SHG loan of Rs. 1 lakh and managed to clear part of the dues. However, she now pays a monthly installment of Rs. 4,100 on the SHG loan, while still carrying Rs. 3 lakh of debt.
Unable to feed both her children, she admitted her elder son Vamshi (7) to Lekha Home, an NGO-run children’s shelter in Kompally. During the Praja Palana initiative, Sravanthi applied for a ration card, an Indiramma house, widow pension, and other welfare schemes. While several others in her village received ration cards, she did not. She also has not received any update on her housing application.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Sravanthi, who now works as an agricultural labourer, said she struggles to earn enough for even two square meals a day. She urged the government to sanction her widow pension and issue an Antyodaya ration card at the earliest.

She further requested kind-hearted individuals to donate a couple of buffaloes or goats, expressing hope that she could lead a dignified life by rearing livestock.

Adding to her distress, the paddy crop she cultivated during last Yasangi season failed due to inadequate irrigation. The land, though cultivated by the family for decades, is not registered in her husband’s or in-laws’ names, as they passed away long ago. Although the family has old passbooks, they are not eligible for Rythu Bharosa. Sravanthi has visited the Tahsildar’s office again and applied online under the ‘missing land’ category, but is still awaiting a resolution.