Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government has been jolted by a query from the Reserve Bank of India on rescheduling of crop loans.
The RBI asked the government that when 572 of 640 mandals were reportedly cyclone- and drought-affected, how did the state achieve a record paddy output.
The RBI said the Directorate of Economics and Statistics figures show that the state achieved record production of paddy last year, but the state report says 572 mandals were affected by cyclone, heavy rains and drought. The RBI wanted to know how record production of paddy was possible, when almost all the mandals were affected by cyclone or drought.
The RBI letter said that according to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, all mandals yielded more than 50 per cent paddy.
It added that if the yield was below 50 per cent, only then would rescheduling of crop loans be possible. It has asked the government to send a report justifying that 572 mandals were affected by cyclone or drought.
In the past the RBI had asked its Hyderabad branch to send mandal-wise paddy yield last year. Later it asked its Hyderabad branch to send village-wise disbursement of crop loans by various banks including cooperative and rural banks and the list of farmers account numbers.
