TRS leaders clamour again for loan waiver in manifesto

​Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is likely to announce another loan waiver to farmers. The manifesto committee headed by party’s secretary general and MP K Keshava Rao received this demand from most of the leaders in the party.

According to sources, the manifesto committee had been receiving suggestions from the party leaders and some of them have suggested the committee to include the loan waiver scheme for the farmers. The TRS leaders pointed out that the Congress party announced a loan waiver for farmers to the tune of Rs 2 lakh and this would lead to voters believing the Opposition party and it would get undue importance. 

A senior TRS leader said that if the loan waiver scheme is announced at least with Rs 1 lakh and with one-time settlement, the party’s chances would get increased. He said that they have conveyed their opinion to the party’s committee members. “We have brought Rythu Bandu scheme for farmers and this would also help the party in elections,” said the TRS leader. 

Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had recently formed a manifesto committee with 15 members including Ministers, MPs and senior leaders. The committee is yet to meet officially but the suggestions from the party leaders including former MLAs and MLCs have started coming to the committee. Sources said that the committee would be meeting soon.

Sources said that there may be an announcement regarding an increase in the Aasara pensions. Some of the Ministers wanted the government to increase the pension money. The Congress party announced Rs 2,000 as pension and the TRS leaders want the party to increase the pension money. Sources said that the issue was discussed during a meeting chaired by Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Caretaker Chief Minister had criticised the Congress party for making promise of increased pension. He said that the Congress party could make this announcement because of the TRS, which gave Rs 1,000 as pension. 

The TRS leaders have also sought some respite for the unemployed youth. Since the Congress party announced the unemployed allowance and the neighbouring Telugu State Andhra Pradesh was also implementing the scheme, the TRS leaders suggested their leadership to have something for the unemployed youth. The TRS had been facing criticism from the opposition of not fulfilling the promise of recruiting one lakh vacancies. Recently, when KCR was asked about this promise, he said that the TRS during the last four years has filled more than what the Congress had filled during the last ten years.

The TRS leaders said that the double bedroom houses would be in the list of sops to be announced in the manifesto. “Government had been honest on the double bedroom and people will soon see their dream coming true,” said the TRS leader.