BRS leader T. Harish Rao, along with V. Ravichandra and Chinta Prabhakar (right), speaking to newspersons in Hyderabad on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
The Telangana government’s implementation of the crop loan waiver scheme is a calculated move to deny relief to many farmers, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders alleged here on Sunday, adding that around 470 farmers have ended their lives due to distress caused by not receiving the benefit.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, party leaders T. Harish Rao, Vaddiraju Ravichandra, Chinta Prabhakar and Deshapathi Srinivas said the government was betraying the farming community after promising loan waiver up to ₹2 lakh per farmer before the Assembly elections, but later restricting it in the name of ₹2 lakh per family and deciding family based on ration cards.
They pointed out that while the government claims to provide crop loan waivers to all farmers, it has failed to offer investment support (Rythu Bharosa) for the Kharif season at the enhanced rate of ₹5,000 per acre for two crop seasons a year, as was done by the previous BRS government. They cited numerous examples of how farmers were being denied the loan waiver, leading some to end their lives out of distress
Sharing details of such cases, Mr. Harish Rao mentioned that a farmer named Surender Reddy had ended his life after leaving a letter at the Medchal agriculture department office. In the letter, he explained that he had a loan of ₹1.92 lakh and his mother had another ₹1.15 lakh in APGVB. The bank’s branch manager informed him that only one family member would receive the loan waiver. This incident, Mr. Rao stated, reveals that the loan waiver is tied to the ration card, contradicting Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s statement in the Assembly.
In Jakkapur village of Siddipet constituency, Gurajala Bal Reddy’s family had a total loan of ₹6 lakh in the name of three family members, but only ₹2 lakh was written off. Highlighting that the Revanth Reddy government is citing 31 different reasons for denying loan waivers, he pointed out the case of Nalla Manemma from Narayanpet village. Despite having a loan of just ₹1 lakh, the bank authorities are demanding the Aadhaar card of her husband, who passed away in 2010, before such identity cards were even issued.
Similarly, in the cases of Kumbhala Sidda Reddy and Chatla Harish, bank authorities were demanding the Aadhaar cards of their wives, despite both men being unmarried. He pointed out that the loan waiver has been implemented for only about 20 lakh farmers, leaving another 20 lakh waiting for relief. He also criticised the requirement that farmers must repay any loan amount exceeding ₹2 lakh to qualify for the waiver benefit.
Published – September 09, 2024 03:19 am IST
