The Telangana Cabinet Sub-Committee on farm loan waiver on Saturday said the government was committed to implementing loan waiver by September 30 and enabling farmers to get fresh crop loans.
The panel headed by Agriculture Minister P. Srinivas Reddy met at the Dr. Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute to discuss the issue at length. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Srinivas Reddy stated that after examination of records at field level, clarity had come on Rs 16,000 crore crop loans taken by about 36 lakh farmers.
Examination of crop loan records of some farmers was in progress and that was the reason why their report to the Chief Minister and an announcement by the government was getting delayed.
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Finance Minister E. Rajender said the examination of records had revealed large scale irregularities in crop loans such as those without any land holding getting loans with fake pattadar passbooks and those who did not cultivate crops last year taking loans.
However, the government was committed to ensuring that only eligible farmers benefitted by weeding out the bogus farmers from the lists of beneficiaries, he noted.
Those who had taken gold loans at 7 per cent interest rate would also be covered under the waiver scheme. The verification of records had already saved about Rs 1,000 cr from being misused.
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Ministers P. Mahender Reddy, T. Harish Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and J. Ramanna, Principal Secretary Finance V. Nagi Reddy, Special Secretary A. Ramakrishna Rao, Agri Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy also participated.