Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has categorically said that his Government was not in a position to waive the agricultural loans as the loan amount is huge and the State cannot afford to bear it now.
A whopping amount of Rs.72,000 crore was being extended to farming community from different banks this year and it would simply be impossible to scrap the amount. Besides, only the Centre was empowered to take this decision. When the UPA-I Government waived the farm loans it was just Rs.13,000 crore in the State, he said.
Addressing a well-attended gathering of farmers and women at the Rythu Sadassu here on Monday, the Chief Minister said that some political leaders made every promise without weighing the pros and cons and possibilities of implementation. “Therefore, you should not give credence to them. Our Government is committed to the welfare of the farmers and is fulfilling every promise it made,” he said.
Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy who was in an upbeat mood with the grand success of the meeting said that the idea behind the conduct of rythu sadassus was to enlighten the farmers over various schemes introduced by the government for their welfare and agriculture development. Therefore, all departments allied to agriculture were also involved in it. The sadassus were being held in 74 revenue divisions and 19.50 lakh farmers participated in rythu chaitanya yatralu preluded to the sadassus, he added.
“Our government was always pro farmer. Hence, even in this dry season we have taken all measure to ensure that not even a single acre of paddy goes dry. We spent over Rs.4,000 crores for free current, he said.
Minister for Major Irrigation P. Sudarshan Reddy presided and the Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana spoke. Ministers D. Sreedhar Babu and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy, MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi, Government Whip E. Anil, MLCs and MLAs were present.
