Telangana Govt launches farm loan waiver scheme: ‘Thanksgiving’ meet soon

Hyderabad: The ruling Congress is planning to organise a ‘thanksgiving’ public meeting in Warangal soon to expressing gratitude to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, who had incorporated the farm loan waiver as one of the six guarantees during the Assembly elections.

Launching the farm loan waiver scheme on Thursday, Chief Minister A Revanth recalled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s promise in Warangal to implement the loan waiver scheme soon after coming to power in the state. The government on Thursday released Rs 6,098 crore in the first phase to waive off loans up to Rs 1 lakh, Revanth Reddy said.

An amount of Rs 31,000 crore is required to waive off all the loans up to Rs 2 lakh taken by the farmers in the state, he added. Since the state government had fulfilled the phase-I of the promise and would be completing the second phase by the July end, it would hold the public meeting at the same venue where Rahul had given this assurance to the people.

Revanth said that he would meet Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the next two or three days and extend an invitation to attend the meeting.

The Chief Minister also said that the loan waiver scheme benefit would be extended to all the eligible farmers before the deadline of August 15. Arrangements are being made to clear the farm loan dues of all farmers up to Rs 1.50 lakh by the July-end and the farmers with Rs 2 lakh loan dues would be cleared before August 15.

Revanth Reddy fired a salvo at the previous BRS government for putting Rs 7 lakh crore debt burden on the state exchequer. He said the Congress government was spending Rs 7,000 crore to pay the monthly interest on loans. The government has spent Rs 29,000 crore to implement the six guarantees till date.

He said: “Today, Telangana stood as a role model in the country by implementing the farm loan waiver scheme at one go.” Taking pot shots at the previous BRS government, Revanth said the KCR government had deceived the farmers as it failed to implement the promise of loan waiver scheme.

The Chief Minister also interacted with the farmers who benefitted from the loan waiver scheme. He assured them that the government would extend all assistance to them.

Farmers from Nalgonda, Nagarkurnool, Narayanpet, Adilabad and Nizamabad poured out their woes and explained how they had suffered during the BRS regime due to debt burden.

The Chief Minister reiterated that his government is committed to construct the Pranahita Chevella lift scheme to provide irrigation facilities to Adilabad district.