HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy has demanded that the ruling TRS government spell out as to when it will fulfil its promise of waiving off the loans of farmers.
Addressing a press conference here, he pointed out that farmers are in deep distress with non-implementation of loan waiver. They are also unable to get crop loans. He advised the newly elected PACS presidents and directors of ruling party to try and get funds for societies and extend loans to farmers, instead of continuing to celebrate their recent victory.
Jeevan Reddy appealed to government that it allocate sufficient budget for providing loan waiver to farmers in the upcoming 2020-2021 budget. He was critical that the ruling party is always trying to blame the Centre whenever farmers demand Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their products, stating that MSP is not under the purview of the state government.
He said if the state government asks banks to re-extend loans to farmers on 6 per cent interest, the farmers can get major relief. Otherwise, all farmers will have to pay interest for loans at commercial rates.
The senior Congress leader asked Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to learn from neighbouring CM Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has offered Rs 6,850 as MSP for a quintal of turmeric. He ridiculed agriculture minister S. Niranjan Reddy for writing just a letter to centre seeking increase in the number of centres for purchasing red gram, instead of also following up on the issue.
Elsewhere, Congress leader and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao held the state government responsible for suicide by Narsaiah, a research scholar who could not find employment. He pointed out that all the unemployed had hoped that once Telangana becomes a separate state, they would get jobs. But their hopes had been dashed after TRS came to power in the new state.
