CM KCR orders release of Rs 19,000 crore for crop loan waiver

The waiver formalities are to be completed by September 15, marking 100 per cent fulfillment of the Chief Minister’s promise on debt relief for farmers

Hyderabad: The crop loan waiver process providing a debt relief to farmers in the State up to Rs 1 lakh will be fulfilled in toto by September 15. A decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao at a high level review meeting at Pragati Bhavan on Wednesday. He ordered release of Rs 19,000 crore to lender banks towards pending installments under the crop loan waiver scheme.

Reiterating that the welfare of farmers and development of the agriculture sector would continue to be top on the agenda of the State government, he wanted the waiver process to be resumed on Thursday itself and completed within one and a half month.

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The waiver formalities are to be completed by September 15, marking 100 per cent fulfillment of the Chief Minister’s promise on debt relief for farmers. The crop loan waiver scheme was intended to give the farmers a relief up to Rs 1 lakh in five installments.

He explained that due to the slowdown caused by the impact of the Centre’s demonetization move, disturbances such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre’s partisan attitude and unilateral moves aimed at scaling down FRBM funds the State was entitled to, there was some delay in fulfilling the waiver.

The State government has, however, successfully and sincerely been continuing pro-farmers schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, free electricity and extension of irrigation facilities. The State did not back out from its commitment to implement the welfare programmes, regardless of hardships and losses.

The State government will initiate more programmes to benefit farmers, he said, pointing out that food processing units for agricultural development were being set up in a big way. The government will not rest until the farmers are empowered financially.

He said the government had already extended relief to farmers by paying partly to lender banks towards loan waiver installments. As part of the final round of the implementation of the scheme, an amount of Rs.19,000 crore would be released.

The Chief Minister has directed Finance Minister T Harish Rao and Special Chief Secretary for Finance K Ramakrishna Rao to resume the programme from Thursday. Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister Somesh Kumar, Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar and Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao attended the review meeting.