Hyderabad: The state government on Tuesday released the pending Rs 2019.19 crore farm loan waiver instalment. As part of its electoral promise to waive Rs 17,000 crore farm loans, the TRS government began doing so in instalments.
However, there was considerable delay in the release of the instalment this year, leading to protests from Opposition parties as well as farmers organisations.
Though Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues had repeatedly promised that the government was committed to clearing all dues, the Opposition continued with its tirade against the government.
With this instalment, the government released Rs 12,375.18 crore so far and the balance is Rs 4,624.82 crore. “This is three- fourths of the total due amount released so far,” an official said.
Mr Rao, in the TRS election manifesto in 2014, promised to waive farm loans up to Rs one lakh totalling about Rs 17,000 crore in four instalments.
In the first instalment, the government released Rs 4,250 crore in September 2014 and subsequently released instalments. “The remaining instalment is Rs 4,624.82 crore. This is likely to be released in one go next year,” an official said.
