Hyderabad: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accused the TDP Government in Andhra Pradesh of going back on its pre-poll promise about waiving farm and other loans and has called for a three-day protest to push for full implementation of the assurance.
The Opposition party said it would hold the sit-in at village level across the state from Thursday to mount pressure on the TDP Government to fully implement its poll promise on the waiver of total agriculture and DWACRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) loans and ensure that fresh credits are given forthwith.
YSRCP President Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to all political parties, including BJP - part of the ruling coalition - to join the programme, "Narakasura Vadha" to be carried out by farmers and women groups along with YSRCP.
Effigies of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would be burnt at all villages in 13 districts as he is "going back on his election promises and is trying to dilute the loan waiver by imposing restrictions and downsizing the quantum, which clearly shows that his pre-election words do not match with the deeds after assuming power," YSRCP said on Wednesday.
"The farmers and women groups have been deceived by his false promises as they have to shell out money and repay old loans to get fresh ones failing which they have to pay an interest of around 12 per cent as defaulters against the regulation of 3 per cent interest," Reddy told reporters.
Naidu chaired the 184th State Level Bankers Conference (SLBC) on June 30, which has clearly mentioned in its report that AP has total agriculture loans of Rs 87,612 crore and DWACRA loans are Rs 14,204 crore aggregating to Rs 1,01,816 crore," according to him.
"The Chief Minister has slashed the (farm loan waiver) figure to Rs 35,000 crore which amounts to downsizing it by 37 per cent and we are protesting against this gross injustice."
On July 21, the Naidu Government had announced it would write off farm loans of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per family, a move that is likely to impose a financial burden of Rs 35,000 crore on the cash-starved state exchequer.
In addition, the Government has decided to write-off loans amounting to Rs 7,600 crore given to women self-help groups. Another Rs 300 crore loans given to weavers, Scheduled Castes and other small artisans, too, would be waived, Naidu had said.
