Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy here on Wednesday announced that loans to farmers against their produce would be doubled from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh under Rythu Bandhu scheme.
Inaugurating a 5000 metric ton capacity godown, constructed at a cost of Rs 1.7 crore in the local market yard on the second day of his Indiramma Bata program, the Chief Minister said the toiling farmers, who used to preserve their produce in the godowns for sale at remunerative price, were paid Rs 50,000 loan. But, this amount has been increased to Rs one lakh under Rythu Bandhu scheme to extend a helping hand to the toiling farmers, he added. He also launched the Rythu Bandhu scheme in the district.
The Chief Minister said the farmers in the State were producing only 44 lakh metric tons of paddy as against the target of 210 lakh metric tons. He said steps were being taken to create all facilities to help the farmers to market their produce through government markets, TMCs and IKPs. He said that the farmers can preserve their produce in the godowns for three months and dispose of the grain at remunerative prices. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that his government initiated steps to open godowns that could store paddy up to 25 lakh metric tons.
The Chief Minister said the farmers, who used to get only Rs 50,000 crop loan at 10 per cent interest, would now get Rs one lakh at the reduced interest of three per cent under the Rythu Bandhu scheme. Similarly, the government was taking steps to create all facilities in the market yards. He also announced that the farmers who obtained crop loans for procuring inputs could only repay the principal amount and interest would be borne by the government from this khariff season. He also said that they have requested the Reserve Bank of India to accord permission to reduce interest on crop loans and reschedule repayments whenever the farmers were affected by the natural calamities like floods and drought. Reiterating that the Congress government was committed to the welfare of the farmers, the Chief Minister advised the farmers to prune expenditure on raising crops.
Minor Irrigation Minister T.G. Venkatesh, who presided over the function, said that the credit goes to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for providing Pavala Vaddi (3% interest) loans to the farmers. Reminding that the previous TDP government had increased rice price from Rs 2 to Rs 5, he said the Congress had brought down the rice price from Rs 5 to Rs 2 immediately after returning to power with an intention to ensure adequate food to the poor and downtrodden sections in the State. Again the Congress government headed by Kiran Kumar Reddy halved the subsidized rice price from Rs 2 a kg to Rupee one a kg. He also said that the government was striving to complete all the Jalayagnam projects to bring the entire land under cultivation.
Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhoopal Reddy, district incharge minister Kondru Murali, Law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy, MLC Sudhakar Babu, Geyanand, market yard chairman Venkateshwar Reddy, Commissioner Venkatarami Reddy, district Collector C. Sudarshan Reddy, Marketing joint director Lakshmanudu, assistant director Venkateshwar Reddy, Agriculture Department JD Thakur Naik, market committee directors, farmers and others were present. (NSS)