YSRC demands disclosure of waiver amount; walks out
The issue came up for discussion in the Assembly during Question Hour. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: The YSR Congress members, led by their leader Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, staged a walkout from the state Assembly on Wednesday protesting the failure of the TD government to give clarity on the quantum of money required for crop loan waiver and the date from which it will be implemented. Mr Reddy said though the State Level Bankers’ Committee has stated that crop loans were to the tune of Rs87,000 crore and Dwcra loans to the tune Rs14,000 crore, the TD government was not disclosing the facts.
The issue came up for discussion in the Assembly during Question Hour. Agriculture minister P. Pulla Rao said the amount required for waiver is still being computed but the Opposition staged a walkout from the Assembly protesting “non-disclosure of facts”.YSRC members Gottipati Ravikumar and A. Suresh wanted the government to come clear on the loan waiver. “While Rs1.02 lakh crore is required for loan waiver, the government made a meagre allocation of Rs5,000 crore in the Budget,” Mr Reddy said and wondered if the scheme would be implemented at all.
Responding to this, agriculture minister Mr Rao said the banks were in the process of submitting required information and only then the actual amount required for the waiver would be known.He said the Reserve Bank of India permitted banks to reschedule short-term crop loans up to Rs1 lakh in 120 calamity-affected mandals in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Krishna and SPS Nellore districts only.
Stating that the interest component on loans would increase because of the rescheduling, the minister said the proposal for bearing additional burden of higher rate of interest was “under active consideration” of the government.
The minister’s reply failed to satisfy the YSRC members and their leader Y. S. Jagan mohan Reddy announced they were staging a walkout.One member of the Opposition party, however, returned to his seat in the House and insisted on being given the mic to put forward his point to which the speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao said, “Have you staged a walk-out or not? If yes, how can you come back when the same issue is being discussed in the House?”
( Source : dc correspondent )
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