BRS Leader Harish Rao Condemns Telangana Government's Farmer Loan Waiver Failures
Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao has launched a scathing critique against the Telangana government, alleging that it is organizing Rythu Utsava Melas at a time when a majority of farmers in the state have not received loan waivers or Rythu Bharosa aid for the past three agricultural seasons. He asserted that the government is holding celebrations even as farmers have been deceived with false promises and claims.
Memorandum Submission and Farmer Grievances
On Thursday, the former minister, along with other leaders and MLC Deshapathi Srinivas, submitted a memorandum to Irrigation Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao. Harish Rao emphasized that farmers in Telangana are facing a dire situation, as they have not been compensated for hailstorm damage and lack access to crop loans. He demanded that the government implement the insurance scheme from the current agricultural season without further delay.
Detailed Breakdown of Loan Waiver Issues
Harish Rao provided specific data to underscore the severity of the problem:
- In Narmetta village, where the government is organizing Rythu Utsava Melas, nearly half of the 725 farmers have not received a loan waiver, with pending waivers worth Rs 3 crore in the village alone.
- In the Siddipet assembly constituency, over Rs 300 crore is due to 22,849 farmers.
- Across Telangana, thousands of farmers are still waiting for loan waivers, with estimates from a bankers' meeting indicating a requirement of Rs 51,000 crore, though the budget was reduced to Rs 31,000 crore and only Rs 20,000 crore was waived.
He criticized the government for announcing a 100% loan waiver but failing to deliver, noting that not even half of the farmers have benefited. Farmers with loans exceeding Rs 2 lakh were reportedly asked by the chief minister to repay the excess amount to qualify for a waiver, forcing them to borrow money to repay banks. Yet, those with loans over Rs 2 lakh have still not received waivers, and even farmers with loans below this threshold faced numerous hurdles.
Additional Financial Distress and Unfulfilled Promises
Harish Rao added that for the 2024 monsoon season, Rs 70 crore in farmer support funds needs to be credited. He highlighted that for the past three seasons, input subsidies for crops damaged by excessive unseasonal rains and hailstorms have not been provided statewide. Last year, crops of 6,785 farmers in Siddipet constituency were damaged, resulting in losses of approximately Rs 6 crore.
He concluded by accusing the chief minister of swearing on deities to waive loans for all farmers in one go but failing to keep his word, thereby exacerbating financial distress among the agricultural community.
