Hyderabad: Led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, a delegation of Congress MLAs on Friday met Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudan Chary and submitted copies of documents pertaining to over 10,000 farmers whose interest on waived off crop loans was not paid by the State Government.
The delegation comprised of TPCC Working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, PAC Chairman Dr. J. Geetha Reddy, MLAs G. Chinna Reddy, Rammohan Reddy, N. Padmavathi, A. Sampath Kumar and Vamshichand Reddy and TPCC Kisan Cell chairman M. Kodanda Reddy.
Speaking to media persons later, Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that the documents such as farmers’ individual applications,
informed procured from banks, notices served to farmers and communication sent by District Collectors to various were submitted to the Speaker to counter Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s claim on total closure of crop loan waiver scheme with no dues.
He said that the TRS Government cheated the farmers by splitting the crop loan waiver scheme into four instalments. The instalments and delays in clearing them attract interest and penal interest on farmers’ loan accounts.
“When we pressurised the TRS Government, the Chief Minister gave an assurance on the floor of the House about six months ago that the government would pay the interest amount and the burden would not be passed on to farmers. However, no amount was cleared during the last six months.
In the present Assembly session, KCR claimed that there were no dues and everything has been cleared. As per the information procured from the Lead Bank, government is yet to clear interest burden of over Rs. 984 crore towards crop loan waiver scheme.
We have submitted documentary evidence pertaining to over 10,000 farmers seeking immediate clearance of interest dues,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said since the Chief Minister has given an assurance to clear interest amount on waived off crop loans on the floor of the House, the Speaker has been urged to constitute an all-party committee to look into the issue and recommend the government to clear the dues on immediate basis.
The TPCC chief reminded that the previous Congress-led UPA regime had waived off crop loans of Rs. 72,000 crore of nearly 4 crore farmers across the country in 2008.
Farmers of the then united AP, including Telangana, got nearly Rs. 13,157 crore benefit under the scheme and the entire process was completed in just 100 days. However, he alleged that the TRS Government openly cheated the farmers by splitting the loan dues into four instalments.
By doing this, it kept the farmers hooked to their debts over three years and even today not all farmers are free from their debts.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was also shocking that the Chief Minister has misled the House on multiple occasions on the crop loan waiver issue.
“By openly lying on the floor of the House, without even crossing the facts, KCR has shown utter disrespect to the Assembly and displayed his negligent attitude towards farmers,” he said. (INN)