Bootless govt schemes force farmers to borrow from money lenders in Adilabad

Adilabad: Various welfare schemes introduced by the State government for the benefit of the farmers have become useless as they have to rely again on private money lenders.

The farmers alleged that Rythu Bandhu, a crop investment scheme launched by the government, is in fact insufficient and disbursal is delayed. Even the banks also are giving inadequate loan amounts. Besides the banks didn't renewed previous year's crops loans, hence the farmers cannot apply for fresh loans.

While the shifting cultivation farmers without pattadar passbooks will not get bank loans, the same is the plight of the tenant farmers, who will not get support either from banks or Rythu Bandhu scheme.

All these factors are forcing the farmers to be at the mercy of money lenders, who are playing on the needs of the farmers and looting them with high rates of interest.

Every year in Kharif season, farmers are forced to depend on financiers, who lend money for crop investment and provide seeds, pesticides, fertilisers till the harvest time (cotton picking). The farmers must pay the loan on time, and if they fail to do so, then they would be plunged into debts.

In every season farmer have to pay Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per Rs one lakh for a period of eight months to money lenders. Besides they have to buy fertiliser, pesticide and other items from the money lenders' shops only at a higher price.

The farmers problems do not end here. They have to sell their produce to the money lenders only.

Speaking to The Hans India, a farmer from Narnoor mandal, Adilabad district, Rathod Prakash said that private financiers are looting cotton growers. This is not the problem of a single farmer, but thousands of farmers are struggling in the same situation, he added.

A tenant farmer Goli Naveen of Avalpur village under Bela mandal in Adilabad district, said that he took five acres of land on lease. He is eligible neither for Rythu Bandhu scheme nor bank loan to expend on crop investment. "That gives me no other option. Except to borrow money from private financiers for a high rate of interest," he lamented.