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Revanth launches final phase of crop loan waiver, releases over ₹5K crore
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday released ₹5,644.24 crore for the waiver of crop loan arrears of 4,46,000 farmers up to ₹2 lakh in the third and final phase, as part of the six guarantees promised by the Congress before the last assembly elections in the state.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday released ₹5,644.24 crore for the waiver of crop loan arrears of 4,46,000 farmers up to ₹2 lakh in the third and final phase, as part of the six guarantees promised by the Congress before the last assembly elections in the state.
Addressing a public rally at Wyra in Khammam district later, the chief minister said his government had fulfilled the major pre-election promise of the Congress of making the farmers debt-free within eight months of coming to power.
“We made a commitment to waive off all crop loans up to ₹2 lakh by August 15. It was a promise made by our leader Rahul Gandhi to the farmers before the elections. Now, we have fulfilled our commitment by crediting around ₹18,000 crore into the loan accounts of farmers in a span of 27 days in three phases,” he said.
Stating that the Congress government would never go back on its words, Revanth Reddy demanded a public apology from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders who had challenged his government to implement the crop loan waiver scheme.
In the first phase on July 18, the Revanth Reddy government credited ₹6,089.93 crore into the loan accounts of 11,50,000 farmers whose crop loan arrears were up to ₹1 lakh. In the second phase, the government released ₹6,190.01 crore for waiving the crop loans up to ₹1.50 lakh of 6,40,000 farmers, on July 30, an official statement said, adding that in all, 22,37,000 farmers were relieved of their debt burden to the extent of ₹17,934 crore. “For farmers, whose loans were more than ₹2 lakh, the government would allocate more funds in the coming days to waive them off,” the statement said.
Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated Sitarama lift irrigation project by switching on the project’s pumps at Pusugudem in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The project is aimed at drawing 70.40 tmc of water from Godavari river at the Dummugudem anicut to irrigate 6,74,000 acres in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mahabubabad districts.
Speaking to reporters, Revanth Reddy said his government had fulfilled the aspirations of the people of erstwhile combined Khammam district by completing the Sitarama lift scheme. “The BRS leaders say 90% of the project was completed during their government. Why didn’t they complete it then?” he asked and demanded that they should clarify the expenditure incurred on the project so far.
State irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said in the last seven-eight months significant progress had been achieved in the project, and assured that the project would be completed in all aspects by next year, creating 7,00,000 acres of command area in the erstwhile Khammam district.
Admitting that the state was facing severe financial challenges inherited from the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government, Revanth Reddy assured that his government was committed to fulfilling all the promises the Congress had made before the last assembly elections.
Addressing the gathering after hoisting the tricolour at Golconda Fort on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations, he said the state was reeling under deep debts when he took over as the chief minister.
He said his government was trying to negotiate with the financial institutions for restructuring the state’s debts. “Unlike the previous government, we shall not indulge in heavy debts at high interest rates. We recently had a talk with the World Bank for a soft loan at a reasonably low interest rate,” he said.
He said his government’s dedication to fulfilling its promises, including the Abhayahastham initiative, aimed at bringing happiness to every family in Telangana. “We have waived crop loans of farmers up to ₹ 2 lakh, as promised during the elections; provided subsidised gas cylinders to the poor women at ₹500 each. We are supplying domestic power supply free of cost for poor people with less than 200 units of consumption. We have fulfilled the promise of free bus travel for women,” he said.
The chief minister also declared that his government would extend financial assistance of ₹12,000 per year for the landless agriculture labourers from this year, besides ₹15,000 for farmers under Rythu Bharosa for which modalities were being worked out.
He said the government would also focus on resolving the issues arising out of the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh that had remained pending for the last 10 years.
The CM also said that his government respects democratic values and gives importance to freedom.
“I am assuring all that the government will accord top priority to welfare and make Telangana proud on the world platform,” he said.
