Telangana govt committed to support families of Punjab, Haryana farmers: CS Somesh

State government probed into the issue and ascertained that 814 of 1,010 cheques were already encashed by the beneficiaries.

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Thursday clarified that the cheques issued to the kin of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers’ agitation in Punjab and Haryana, got invalidated as the beneficiaries did not encash them within the prescribed period of three months.

The government also asserted that it firmly stood behind the families of the deceased farmers in this moment of grief and was committed that this measure of support reaches the concerned at the earliest.

The Telangana government had extended financial assistance to the kith and kin of 709 family members of the deceased farmers of Punjab and Haryana who lost their lives during the farmers agitation last year.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had distributed 1,010 cheques to the kin of the deceased farmers on May 22 this year.

However, reports appeared in a section of media stating that the cheques issued by the Telangana government to the kin of deceased farmers from Punjab and Haryana, could not be encashed when presented in the banks.

Responding to these reports, the State government probed into the issue and ascertained that 814 of 1,010 cheques were already encashed by the beneficiaries.

“The cheques have validity for three months. Some of the beneficiaries have not presented the cheques to their respective banks within the said period. Necessary directions have been given to the banks to revalidate all such cheques. For further assistance, the bereaved families can contact Revenue Joint Secretary Ram Singh on phone number 9581992577,” Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said in a statement.