Hyderabad: Farmers, led by main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), held protests and demonstrations across all 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana, demanding the unconditional waiver of crop loans for all farmers.
The party has called for a complete waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh per farmer, as promised by the Congress during the Assembly polls.
The protests, organised at the mandal and constituency levels, saw BRS workers and farmers taking to the streets, despite police attempts to halt the demonstrations in some areas.
The protesters lashed out at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for failing to fulfil his promise to the farming community and called for immediate action on the loan waiver.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao led the protests in Chevella, while senior leader T Harish Rao participated in the dharna at Alair. The party emphasised the need for transparency in the government’s loan waiver process and demanded an explanation over reducing the amount spent on the scheme.
BRS leaders pointed out that while the Chief Minister announced a waiver of Rs 40,000 crore, the Cabinet had only approved Rs 31,000 crore and only Rs 26,000 crore was allocated in the State Budget. Finally, just Rs 18,000 crore had been disbursed, leaving many farmers in distress.
Farmers have shown strong support for the protests, expressing their anger over the government’s conditions to implement the scheme for them, but waiving loans for Congress-elected representatives.
The BRS vowed to fight for the farmers until the State government fulfils it promise of complete waiver of crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh.