Rahul Gandhi meets distressed farmers during 'kisan padyatra'

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met family members of distressed farmer Amit Kishore Kamble during his 'kisan padyatra' and assured that he would make all out efforts to seek remedial measures for them.

"We requested Rahul Gandhi to get us government jobs and give us economic help. So, he has said that he will try to do something," said Kamble.

Gandhi, who visited the farmer's house, also discussed the economic crisis that Kamble's family was facing.

"Rahul Gandhi came and sat among us. We told him about our three-acre land and the issues we face with it. We also told him about our house and how it is in a very bad state. We are a big family living in one small house and it is very difficult to adjust. The government gave us only Rs. one lakh compensation. Rs. 90,000 is the bank loan and we owe about Rs. 1.5 lakhs to some others from whom we had taken the loan. So, nothing can be adjusted in that amount," Kamble said.

"We have not grown any crop in our land for the last three years," he added.

Earlier today, the Congress vice-president began a day-long 'kisan padyatra' from Amravati to highlight the farmers' woes.

Gandhi would travel about 175 kilometres, including a 15-kilometre walk, through villages of Gunji and Shahapur in Dhamangaon Railway and Rajhna and Tonglabad in Chandur Railway talukas which have seen highest number of suicides this year.

He would also interact with the affected farmers and families of those who committed suicide. The Congress vice-president would discuss the agrarian crisis with them and also talks about the remedial measures required to be adopted to solve it.