Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly on Thursday passed the Telangana State Commission for Debt Relief (Small Farmers, Agricultural Labour and Rural Artisans) Amendment Ordinance, 2019.
While introducing the Ordinance 2019, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said that the amendment was brought to appoint an eminent person or farmer well versed in the field of agriculture and the issues of farmers, to head the Commission instead of a retired judge of the High Court as per the earlier provision under the Act.
Mr Rao said that the Act would bail out all farmers by waiving or rescheduling loans when farmers took them at high interest rates and fell prey to forcible recovery.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, floor leader of the Majlis-e-Ittihadul Muslimeen (MIM) and Bhatti Vikramarka, opposition leader, suggested that the government retain the clause that facilitates a retired judge to head the Commission.
The MIM leader, while appreciating the state government’s intention of extending financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, appealed to the government to ensure that farmers should be free of debt.
Mr Rao said that he had great respect for retired judges, but the Act can be amended to facilitating the appointment of a ‘person’ having experience in the field of agriculture.
