Taken aback with protests across Telangana sparked off by the government proposal to implement agriculture loan-waiver with restrictions, Minister for Finance Eetela Rajender on Thursday sought to clarify that they had not take a decision on the modalities of the scheme yet.
“When the government does not have even basic details about the outstanding loans, how can it take a decision,” Mr. Rajender asked and alleged that Andhra parties were behind the misinformation campaign on the loan waiver scheme of Telangana Government.
He appealed to the farming community not to develop any apprehensions by believing what others would say as the government had not made any announcement yet on the modalities of the loan waiver. The bankers had no details of crop loans, gold loans, term loans and key loans to share with the government at the meeting convened by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday.
They assured to work out the details over the next few days and present them to the government. “They had roughly put the outstanding dues at Rs. 22,000 crore to Rs. 25,000 crore. However, the exact figures will be known only on Monday,” the Minister said.
Mr. Rajender reiterated the TRS Government’s commitment to write off all crop loans up to Rs. 1 lakh as promised in the manifesto, he stated. “Our government will issue a GO on loan waiver within next 10 days and no farmer should worry about the issue,” he said.
