Hyderabad: The undue delay in remitting the first installment of loan waiver amount to banks by the Telangana state government has resulted in farmers across the state losing crop insurance benefit for the ongoing kharif season. Reports from Telangana districts confirm that the government did not remit the amount that was promised by it to banks by September 30, the last day for the banks to make adjustments of farm loans related issues, causing hardship to farmers as they neither got their loan amounts waived nor was the crop insurance benefit revived.
Reports from Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Adilabad state that farmers at a few places staged dharnas against the government for its failure to keep its word on the farm loan waiver even on the last day of the kharif season. However, minister for agriculture Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy denied the allegations against the government and said all the banks in the state were working overnight on Tuesday and all the farmers’ loan accounts were renewed.
Speaking to this newspaper, the minister said, “Non-remittance of loan waiver amounts is only a myth and only Opposition parties are making a hue and cry. The fact is the amount has been remitted and we got confirmation from all banks, I am on this specific job.” With regard to farmers losing the crop insurance benefit on account of non-remittance, the minister said, “This is also not true, some farmers did not raise crop due to drought, so there is no question of they getting the crop insurance benefit since it only applies to crops that are raised. Secondly, the farmers can avail the crop insurance benefit in the rabi season, which will commence on October 1.
“We have deposited Rs 25,000 in each and every account. Banks sanctioning Rs 30,000 towards fresh loan. This means farmers have Rs 55,000 in their accounts. If they raise crop in the next season, crop insurance will also be extended.” Meanwhile, strongly condemning the government, deputy leader in Legislative Council and former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday said, “Chief Minister K. Ch-andrasekhar Rao is responsible for the present plight of farmers who were anticipating that the loan amounts would be waived in installments as promised by the government.”
Addressing a press co-nference here, Mr Shabbir Ali said the state government had failed to pay Rs 4,250 crore, the first installment of the farm loan waiver scheme, even on the last day of the kharif seas-on. This was 25 per cent of the total loan amount, which the government had promised to remit in the accounts opened in bank branches across nine districts by September 26. However, the amount was not credited into the accounts till Tuesday afternoon. Since it takes nearly 8-10 days for the banks to complete the formalities, the farmers are set to lose the crop insurance benefit even if the first installment gets credited to the banks by the end of banking hours,” he said.
He even called up one farmer, Mr Narasimha Reddy, during the press conference and got confirmation that no amount had been credited into his account in Dec-can Grameena Bank of Palvancha of Machareddy mandal of Nizamabad district. Later, he also spoke to the manager of the same bank who confirmed that the loan amount was yet to be remitted for nearly 2,000 accou-nts that the bank held.
However, he said that a message had been sent to the banks that the first installment would be credited today. Mr Shabbir Ali requested the CM to immediately intervene and seek extension of the kharif deadline by the banks by personally talking to the Reserve Bank Of India. At the same time, he demanded that the CM explain the reasons for the delay in remittance.
Meanwhile, Nizamabad Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society chairman Anthareddy Raja Reddy said, “The government has declared Rs 1 lakh crop loan waiver and will credit 25 per cent of the amount with immediate effect into the accounts of farmers. In such a case what is the remedy for renewal of crop loans for the remaining 75 per cent loan arrears?” Farmers are simply rejecting renewal of crop loans because the state government has assured to waive the loan, he said.
Mr Reddy added that he had been chairman of PACS for the last 22 years and had never experienced abnormal delay in sanctioning of crop loans till end of September. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Sanjeev, a farmer of Hunsa village in Bodhan mandal, said that crop the insurance was a major relief for farmers during the present-drought like situation. “We hoped for better help from the TRS government, but there is a huge gap between the statements made by the TRS leadership and the ground realities,” he said.
Adapa Ramakotaiah, the Khammam district President, Telangana Rythu Sangham, said, “Farmers lost crop insurance for the present kharif season because of the TRS government’s delayed approach in implementing the farm loan waiver scheme. The farmers used to pay the crop insurance premium while taking crop loans. But this year, 95 per cent of the farmers did not pay the insurance premiums anticipating the amounts under the loan waiver scheme.”
Mr Nannaka Appa Rao, a farmer of Naguloncha, Chintakani mandal of Khammam district, said that crop insurance was being implemented on weather-based insurance in the state. The actual time limit for paying the scheme was July 31 and insurance agents rejected to take the premiums from the farmers on the pretext of time lapse.
Meanwhile in Adilabad district, tense situation prevailed in Talamadugu mandal headquarters when irate farmers gheraoed Adilabad MP Godam Nagesh on his arrival to the village alleging that the state government had failed to implement the crop loan waiver and in ensuring crop insurance for the kharif.
The irate farmers staged a dharna in front of the MPP office in Talamadugu and criticised Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his government’s indifferent attitude towards the farmers and neglecting their welfare after coming to power. Some of the irate farmers also picked up an argument with the MP. Police had to disperse the agitating farmers.
Farmer Mr N. Padmakar Reddy of Talamadugu said, “The state government has failed to waive the crop loans in time though it had promised in the election manifesto.” He added that even the 25 per cent crop loan waiver amount had not been transferred to the bank accounts of the eligible farmers till.
Another farmer, Ravula Narayana of the Telamadugu mandal headquarters, alleged that the state government had hoodwinked the farmers in the name of the crop loan waiver and no farmer had received the crop loan wavier till now. He observed that it was proved that Mr Rao had made false promises to the farmers with the sole motive of coming to power. He too said that the crop loan wavier amount had not been transferred into his account till now.
