Focus on PRC, farmers loan-waiver in Khammam

Hyderabad: The long-pending implementation of first PRC (Pay Revision Commission) for nearly 3 lakh Telangana State Government employees and loan-waiver scheme to relieve over 30 lakh farmers from the debt burden is likely to take centre-stage with specific allocations in the budget outlay for 2019-20 to be presented in the State Assembly by the government soon.

The state government has decided to earmark substantial funds to flagship welfare programmes mainly the enhanced Aasara pension scheme benefitting more than 40 lakh people and Rythu Bandhu scheme meant for 50 lakh farmers from this year financial year. In the vote on account presented by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in March this year, the government mentioned specific allocations for these two major schemes. The two other major schemes left pending for the enforcement are the extending PRC benefits to all government employees and the launch of loan-waiver scheme afresh, said a top official. In the TRS first term between 2014 and 2018, the State government provided succour to the debt-ridden farmers by waiving more than Rs 17,000 crore in four instalments.

State Finance Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao is holding series of meetings with the third PRC Commission Chairman CR Biswal and state Secretary to Agriculture department C Parthasarathi to finalise the requirement of funds for the implementation of the two programmes in the current financial year.