Former Minister Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao on Friday asked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to address the concerns of farmers over repayment of farm loans and take measures to disburse crop loans for the kharif season.
Taking part in ‘Eruvaka’ programme, a traditional event held in the beginning of farm season in villages, at Tadikonda, Mr. Vara Prasad said the Chief Minister should allay apprehensions of farmers over the repayment of crop loans. “Farmers are desperate and are eagerly awaiting disbursal of fresh crop loans from banks to kick start farm operations,” Mr. Vara Prasad said. He also urged Mr. Naidu to ensure that the expert panel on farm loans completes its task of tabling a report within the stipulated time. Mr. Vara Prasad cautioned Mr. Naidu against harping on his previous policies like Vision 2020 and added that people had given a decisive mandate twice against policies of lopsided development of Mr. Naidu. Instead, Mr. Naidu should give equal priority to welfare and development, he said.
The former Minister also criticised Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and found fault with him for politicising issues like Polavaram project. He also expressed concern over proposals to construct irrigation projects upstream of Nagarjunasagar and said it could be detrimental to the interests of delta farmers. He later rode a tractor and performed the ceremonial pooja to kick start the kharif operations.
