Hyderabad: Fake crop loans are turning out to be a huge headache for the AP government. After the announcement of the farm loan waiver, many farmers were surprised to find their names on the waiver list as they say that they hadn’t taken any loans in the first place.
Investigations have unearthed huge misappropriation of funds in the form of agricultural loans that took place in Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies and District Cooperative Central Banks.
According to finance department officials, in Vizianagaram district alone, Congress and TD leaders took loans of Rs 17.98 crore in benami names, and in some cases, without the knowledge of farmers.
A finance department report states: “M. Tulasi is the chairperson of DCCB. She is also the president of PACS, Ravivalsa. A Rs 17.98 crore loan to 4,486 farmers is pending from the Ravivalsa branch for 2013-14.
After the government announced the loan waiver, many farmers in the village were surprised to see their names on the list.”
YSRC leader K. Brahmandana Reddy of Kadapa, who was DCCB chairperson, also allegedly got loans by producing fake land pattas with false survey numbers.
