Farmers continue protests for the third day in CM’s constituency

Farmers gathered in front of the State Bank of India on Thursday, raising slogans against the government and demanding unconditional crop loan waivers. Contrary to government claims, the farmers reported that many in the mandal have yet to see their loans waived.

Kodangal: Despite the tall claims of the Congress government over the crop loan waiver, many farmers, including dalits, have been staging protest at Bomraspet mandal in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s constituency demanding waiver of their crop loans. They have been staging protests for the last three days.

Raising slogans against the government, the farmers have been demonstrating in front of State Bank of India here on Thursday and demanding that their crop loans should be waived without any conditions.

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In sharp contrast to the government’s claims, the farmers complained that many ryots in the mandal were yet to get their loans waived. They also wanted the government to issue fresh crop loans for farmers, whose loans were waived.

The police also took farmers and farmers’ union leaders into custody to prevent them from heading to Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad to press in for their demands

In the guise of technical issues, crop loans of many farmers were yet to be waived. Farmers, whose loans were under Rs.2 lakh, were also approaching the banks daily to check their loan waiver status, a farmer complained.

Apart from farmers and farmers’ unions, different organisations, cutting across political affiliations, participated in the protests.

In many villages, 50 per cent of farmers were yet to get their crop loans waived. Officials were insisting on ration cards despite the State government announcing that the ration cards were not mandatory for the crop loan waiver, said SC, ST, BC Minority Hakkula Porata Samiti district president Chandraiah.

As per the Warangal Rythu Declaration, the Congress government should also extend financial assistance to tenant farmers and farm labourers, Lambadi Hakkula Porata Samithi chief Surya Naik said. Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi district president Subash and others also spoke.

The farmers and unions also threatened to intensify the protest, if the government failed to fulfill their demands.