Bharatiya Janata Party’s Telangana unit has given a call for ‘Chalo Assembly’ on March 23 (Friday) with farmers drawn from three drought-hit districts of Nalgonda, Medak and Adilabad in protest against the TRS government’s “lackadaisical attitude” towards the agriculture sector and highlight the farmers’ plight.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, BJP State president K. Laxman said the party’s Kisan Morcha would be spearheading the protest programme since the government was not paying heed to the distress situation of the farmers when it was sought to be highlighted during the ongoing Assembly proceedings and even after representing to the Minister and officials concerned.
Bank notices
Questioning Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s claim of having implemented loan waiver scheme successfully, he charged that the ground reality was that as many as 80,000 farmers spread across three districts have been slapped with bank notices for non-payment of farm loans with arrears.
“The notices, some of them issued to farmers living near his (the Chief Minister’s) ancestral village of Chinthamadaka, have clearly stated that action would be taken as per law if the loan is not repaid since the government has not paid a single paisa on their behalf despite standing guarantee. This shows the sincerity of the government towards the farmers woes,” he said.
The BJP leader lamented that when the farmers plight was sought to be highlighted during the sessions, the ruling party has been resorting to political attacks and ridicule making a mockery of the seriousness with which the issue should be dealt.
He wondered why the government cannot utilise its massive machinery to find out the farmers left out of the loan waiver scheme, take action against officials responsible, hold an all party meeting and a bankers conference to find a solution.
Mr. Laxman also said that because of the government not contributing its share, the Centre’s interest free loans to farmers and benefit from the Prime Minister’s Insurance Scheme was not accruing to farmers.
