Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao should immediately call for an all-party meeting, besides a meeting with farmers associations, to discuss the ways to mitigate the woes of the farming community, urged Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday.
In an open letter to Mr .Rao, the BJP leader stated that during his ongoing second stage of the ‘Praja Sangrama Yatra’, many farmers had complained about the delay in waiver of the loans and tenant farmers rued the lack of any government scheme for them.
The TRS had offered to waive loans to the extent of one lakh rupees for all farmers in the last elections but so far the government had issued just ₹1.44.38 crore, benefitting 5.66 lakh farmers, while another 31 lakh are waiting to get the same benefit, he said.
The Karimnagar MP explained that the government needs to allocate ₹19,198.38 crore for 36.68 farmers for those seeking loans waiver to the extent of less than ₹25,000, up to ₹50,000, up to ₹75,000, up to ₹1 lakh. “There are about 2 lakh farmers seeking loan waivers of less than ₹50,000 each but the bills amounting to ₹857 crore is pending with the Finance Department, throwing the farmers into a disarray,” he said.
Hence, the Chief Minister should instruct the officials concerned to release funds expeditiously and extend the loan waiver scheme for those awaiting the benefit, he said and charged that due to non-payment of loans, the banks concerned are taking over the welfare scheme payments.
Mr. Sanjay Kumar said it is “shameful” that the tenant farmers, most of whom are small and medium ones, estimated to be 14 lakh in number across the State, are ignored. It is necessary to bring changes in the law or bring new laws to come to their aid, he observed. “We are bringing these issues to your notice as a responsible opposition party so that action can be taken expeditiously,” he added, in the letter.
