Hyderabad: Stating that his Government was committed to extend all possible help to the farmers, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajashekhar Reddy today (May 26, 2004) flagged off a rally highlighting the State Government's concern and package providing relief to them.

Addressing the rally near Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund, the Chief Minister urged the farmers not to take any extreme step and take assistant announced by the Government to mitigate their problems.

A large number of persons including intellectuals, artists, students, sportspersons and TV artistes, representatives of NGOs, cultural and literary organisations participated in the rally, which culminated at the Legislative Assembly.

The Chief Minister has announced various measures including financial assistance to the farmers, who were in distress and constituted a Cabinet sub-committee consisting of the Ministers of Agriculture, Revenue, Home and Cooperation to go into the issue of suicide by farmers and oversee implementation of two packages launched to pull out the affected families from the "deep distress".

About 50 farmers committed suicide in various districts in the last 10 days, but out of them, only 28 were distressed over loan, official sources said.