One-time loan waiver will end suicides: Errabelli

Telugu Desam floor leader in the Assembly Errabelli Dayakar Rao today suggested to the State government to waive off crop loans at one go and create Market Fund to help prevent farmers’ suicides.

Participating in the debate on farmers suicides in the Assembly on Wednesday, the Telangana TDP floor leader tried to put the ruling party in fix for its failure on checking the suicides and how he was thrown behind bars and bitten by mosquitoes followed by Palakurty stone-pelting incident. He asked the government to encourage agriculture linking it with Employment Guarantee Scheme and enable the farmers get financial assistance.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, though expressing concern on the issue was yet to take proactive steps to end the menace, he said. He felt that trivial mistakes on the part of the government were driving the distressed farmers towards suicides. He also accosted the government as to why it reduced seed subsidy from 50% to 33%? Pointing out that in the neighbouring Maharashtra State, the ministers were touring drought affected areas and allaying fears of the farmers, Errabelli asked the government as to why the TRS ministers were not doing so to instill confidence among the distressed farmers.

Delay of loan waiver will compound the problems and suicides will go on, Dayakar Rao opined. “We will cooperate with the government on the issue”, he said. The TDP leader urged the government to issue a GO directing the banks not to pressurize farmers to repay loans up to three years. (NSS)