BRS demands govt to withdraw guidelines, make crop loan waiver applicable to all farmers

Harish Rao outlined numerous flaws in the current guidelines and demanded immediate changes to support farmers effectively.

Hyderabad: Terming the new guidelines of crop loan waiver restrictive and unfair, former Minister and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao demanded for immediate withdrawal of the same to make the scheme beneficial to all farmers. Rather than Aadhaar, ration cards and PM-KISAN data, he suggested for making all pattadar passholders eligible for the scheme.

Speaking to mediapersons at the Assembly here on Tuesday, Harish Rao outlined numerous flaws in the current guidelines and demanded immediate changes to support farmers effectively. He said the loan waiver norms must be simplified and inclusive, in order to waive loans availed by every farmer.

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“We demand the government pay the interest for until its implementation considering the delay since the Congress came to power. The government is failing to instill confidence among farmers, and if the loan waiver conditions are not withdrawn, we will initiate a large-scale people’s movement inside and outside the Assembly,” he warned.

The BRS legislator lambasted the government’s focus on restrictive criteria, such as requiring a ration card for loan waivers, which he deemed unfair. He pointed out that the banks gave loans to farmers on the basis of pattadar passbooks, but not ration cards. “Before the election, promises were made to waive off loans for every farmer, but now conditions like ration cards are being imposed. This approach is misleading and detrimental to farmers,” he added.

He also pointed out the disparity between farmers benefiting from different schemes, highlighting that considering PM Kisan’s data would exclude many from the waiver. He reminded that while around 69 lakh farmers benefited from Rythu Bandhu provided by the previous BRS government, only 30 lakh farmers are covered under PM-KISAN. “This will alienate 60 percent of farmers, depriving them of the promised relief,” he said.

Harish Rao condemned the exclusion of crop loans to long-term crops and the lack of support for farmers with rescheduled loans, calling it a “grave injustice.” He also criticised the exclusion of Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Self-Help Groups (SHG), and Farmer Producer Organisations from the waiver. He also found fault with insisting on making the scheme applicable to only one person in a family which would be a grave injustice to siblings in the same family.

He insisted that the government must bear the interest accrued until the crop loan waiver is implemented. He expressed concern over the starting date for the loan waiver implementation and the harsh terms placed on the process. He warned that until the State government withdraws the restrictions, the BRS will not stop fighting for justice for all farmers. He urged the government to treat farmers with respect and fairness.