Hyderabad, June 1: The recent spate of farmer suicides in Andhra Pradesh has attracted the attention of the National Human Rights Commission, reports our special correspondent.

With more than 100 farmers committing suicide since the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government assumed office a little over two weeks ago, the commission has asked why the regime had not acted on its earlier recommendations to undertake “speedier and appropriate rehabilitation and relief operations”.

Chief minister Reddy has announced a relief package that offers Rs 1 lakh in fixed deposits for the dead farmers’ kin and Rs 50,000 to be disbursed by government agencies as a one-time settlement for the farmers’ debts, with the mediation of village heads. A helpline has been set up.