The euphoria and exuberance of the people of Telangana, especially among the farming community, following the TRS forming the government in the new state has suddenly turned into resentment and heartburn over the KCR administration’s move wioth regard the loan waiver scheme.
Farm loan waiver of up to Rs.One lakh to all farmers was one of the main poll promises made by TRS President K. Chandrashekar Rao in the recent elections. Not only this promise was incorporated in the TRS manifesto but the same was repeatedly stressed at all the public meetings during the election campaign. As a matter of fact this was also one of the reasons for the TRS success in the elections.
However after taking the reins of administration of the Telangana State the TRS President and Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao seemed to be having second thoughts about implementing the loan waiver scheme to all farmers in view of the huge financial implications. Thus KCR in order to reduce the financial burden of his government seemed to be planning to extend the loan waiver scheme to eligible farmers with certain conditions.
It might be mentioned here that KCR held a meeting with the bankers on Wednesday to discuss his pet loan waiver scheme and sought suggestions and cooperation of the financial institutions in fulfilling his poll promise. At the meeting the bankers pointed out the Chief Minister that Rs.26,000 crore would be required to waive the loans to all the farmers up to rupees one lakh and suggested that it should be implemented with certain conditions tom reduce the financial burden on the government.
Thus as per the bankers suggestion to implement the scheme with certain conditions, it is proposed that it would be made applicable to only those farmers who had availed the loan between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014. Moreover the loan waiver would be only for crop loans and not all other allied sectors like poultry, livestock etc.
Though the Chief Minister had announced at a public function in his Gajwel constituency of Medak district about his government’s decision to waive farm loans totaling Rs.12,000 crores to benefit 23 lakh farmers, the announcement did not bring any cheer in the farming community as they had come to know that it was a conditional waiver for a few and not a complete waiver for all.
Thus resent among the farming community came to the fore today in the form of protests and road-blockades by the farmers in various districts. In Medak district the protersting farmers resorted to burning the effigy of KCR, while in Warangal district the protesting farmers resported to road bloackade at various mandals. Protests also echoes in Nizamabad districts with the farmers pulling down TRS flags and burning them.
The Leader of the Telangana Congress Legislature Party K. Jana Reddy taking advantage of the raging resentment among the farming community fired the first political salvo against KCR and his government for going back on the poll promise.
Addressing the media Jana Redy lashed out KCR on going back on his much-touted poll promise of farm loan waiver up to one lakh rupees to all the farmers. He said the true colors of the pink party was exposed with the move of the government to implement the scheme with conditions including to farmers who had availed loans only between 2013 and 2014.
He demanded KCR to reconsider the decision and ensure that ther laon waiver scheme should be applicable to all farmers and these should be any bar regarding the time of the loan taken. It was imperative for KCR to stand by his promise made in the TRS manifesto and at all the public meetings during the election campaing. He said that the Congress party would extend all support and cooperation to the TRS Government but at the same time would not remain blind to any injustice being meted to the people like the farmers with regard to the loan waiver scheme. (NSS)