Reiterating their charge that the loan waiver scheme did not benefit farmers much, the Congress submitted documentary evidence collected from 10,000 farmers to Assembly Speaker Madhusudana Chary on Friday.
A delegation led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and consisting of senior leaders Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, J. Geetha, G. Chinna Reddy, Rammohan Reddy, N. Padmavathi, A. Sampath Kumar, Vamshichand Reddy and TPCC Kisan Cell chairman M. Kodanda Reddy met the Speaker.
Later, speaking to media persons, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the documents such as farmers’ individual applications procured from banks, notices served to farmers and communication sent by district Collectors were submitted to the Speaker to counter Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s claim on total closure of crop loan waiver scheme with no dues.
Mr. Reddy claimed that the government is yet to clear interest burden of over ₹984 crore towards crop loan waiver scheme, and the documents submitted to the Speaker is a proof of that. He said the government only cheated farmers by splitting the crop loan waiver scheme into four instalments and the delay in clearing has attracted the interest and penal interest.
He reminded that owing to pressure from the Congress, the Chief Minister gave an assurance on the floor of the House about six months ago that the government would pay the interest amount. However, no amount was cleared during the last six months. In the present Assembly session, it is now claiming that there are no dues, he alleged.
Since the government promised to waive off interest on loans on the floor of the house, he demanded that the Speaker now constitute an all-party committee to study the loan waiver scheme. He reminded that the UPA Government had waived off crop loans of ₹72,000 crore of nearly 4 crore farmers across the country in 2008, and farmers of the then united AP, including Telangana, got benefit of nearly ₹13,157 crore, and the entire process was completed in just 100 days.
