KCR decides to complete farm loan waiver ahead of polls

Hyderabad, Aug 2 (IANS) In yet another move apparently to woo voters ahead of Telangana Assembly elections, the BRS government on Wednesday decided to complete farm loan waiver, which it had promised in the previous elections.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed officials to resume loan waiver from August 3 and complete it in one and a half months.

He said that, after the already waived loans, it required another Rs 19,000 crore for the waiver of pending farm loans.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) had promised waiver of all farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh. The announcement is significant in view of the Assembly elections due to be held towards the end of the year.

Opposition parties have been targeting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for not fulfilling its election promise all these years. The Congress, which released farmers’ declaration last year, has made a slew of promises to farmers including Rs 2 lakh loan waiver and Rs15,000 direct benefit per acre annually.

Reiterating that welfare of farmers and development of agriculture is top priority of his government, KCR, as Rao is popularly known, made it clear that despite the challenges, it remains committed to the word given for farmers’ welfare.

He said that due to economic slowdown caused by the Centre’s decision of the demonetisation, impact of Corona pandemic on the state economy, the "vindictive attitude" adopted by the Centre towards Telangana state by not releasing the FRBM funds etc, which contributed to the state fiscal deficit, are the main reasons for the delay in the implementation of farm loan waiver scheme.

With the improvement in the state’s financial position, the Chief Minister on Wednesday held a meeting with officials on the steps to resume farm loan waiver.

Finance Minister Harish Rao, Chief Minister’s Chief Advisor Somesh Kumar, Finance Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, HMDA Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar, and Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao attended the meeting.

KCR stated that the government is sincerely implementing schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bheema, free electricity supply and irrigation water for farmers. He made it clear that despite all the problems and difficulties, there is no question of neglecting the welfare of farmers and development of agriculture. He said the government will be launching model programmes like setting up food processing units for the development of the agriculture sector.

He said the government will not rest till the farmers become financially empowered.

He gave clear instructions to complete the farmer loan waiver programme by September second week on the lines of Rythu bandhu benefit deposited in the farmers bank accounts directly in phased manner.

The resumption of farm loan waiver is one of the many announcements made by the KCR-led government with an eye on the elections. Last month, the government increased the monthly pension for disabled persons by Rs 1,000. They will now get Rs 4,116 every month.

The government also announced financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to eligible members of minorities with 100 per cent subsidy. This will be on the lines of the assistance announced for the backward classes recently.

It also announced that the Village Revenue Assistant (VRA) system, which symbolises the feudal structure, will be completely abolished. CR declared that over 20,000 VRAs across the state will be regularised in the supernumerary posts in the Revenue department.

On July 31, the state cabinet decided to recognize over 43,000 employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) as the employees of the state government. The Cabinet also decided to expand Hyderabad Metro at a cost of Rs. 69,000 crore in next 3-4 years.