Stepping up attack on the TRS government over farmers’ issues, the Congress, TDP-BJP combine and other Opposition parties today called for Telangana bandh on October 10 in support of their demand to fulfill farm loan waiver promise at one go rather than in phases.
“Banks are not giving fresh loans in view of the prevailing confusion in rural economy and rural banking system. All opposition parties, we are calling for Telangana bandh on 10th (October) with the demand for waiving farmers’ loans at one go,” Telangana Congress president and MLA N Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters here.
“We request all to participate in the bandh to express solidarity with the farming community which is in crisis and as a protest against negligence of the government,” he said.
Alleging that the TRS government has failed to provide relief to the farmers, Telangana TDP president L Ramana claimed that about 200 farmers committed suicide due to distress during the span of the recent Assembly session which concluded yesterday.
“We are calling for bandh under inevitable conditions. The main demands are that the KCR government waive farmers’ loans at one go, impose a moratorium on the private loans of farmers and declare drought-hit mandals and districts,” Ramana said, flanked by Uttam Kumar Reddy and BJP MLA Ch Ramachandra Reddy.
Referring to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s comments that the Opposition parties made unreasonable demands, Telangana BJP president and MLA G Kishan Reddy, at separate press conferences, alleged that it reflected political bankruptcy as it was TRS which promised farm loan waiver.
The Congress, TDP, BJP, CPI, CPI(M) members demanded during the Legislative Assembly session that the TRS government waive farm loans at one go.
The state government said it would make sincere efforts to waive the loans at once. Loans of about Rs 8,000 crore have already been waived.
Noting that either Congress or TDP were in power during the last 58 years, the ruling TRS alleged that the ongoing farmers’ suicides are a result of their negligence.