Harish Rao challenges Revanth Reddy for a debate on loan waiver issue
"Choose the place, date, and time," Harish Rao challenged the Chief Minister. Speaking to the media on Saturday, the former Minister suggested visiting either his or the Chief Minister's constituency—or any other—to openly discuss facts and figures. He criticized the Revanth Reddy government for making false claims about the crop loan waiver.
Hyderabad: Launching a broadside against the Congress government for deceiving the farming community, former Minister T Harish Rao counter challenged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over his false claims on crop loan waiver and demanded that he prove his claims.
“Decide the place, date and time. Let’s visit your constituency or my constituency or any other constituency and discuss facts and figures openly,” Harish Rao challenged the Chief Minister.
Addressing media persons here on Saturday, the former Minister laid threadbare about the false claims of Revanth Reddy’s government over crop loan waiver.
Initially, the Chief Minister had promised to waive Rs.40,000 crore crop loans by December 9 as a gift on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. During the parliament elections, taking a vow on different Gods and Goddesses, he promised that by August 15, Rs.31,000 crore loans would be waived. In sharp contrast to these figures, Rs.26,000 crore was allocated in the State budget, the BRS MLA explained.
After the details shared by the State government were verified, surprisingly, only Rs.17,000 crore was spent to clear the loans of 22 lakh farmers in three phases. Among all the farmers, only 46 percent farmers’ loans were waived and over 25 lakh farmers were deceived. This exposes Revanth Reddy’s false claims, he pointed out.
Reminding about his earlier challenge to the Chief Minister, the former Minister said he had offered tender resignation, if the Congress government completes crop loan waiver by August 15 and fulfils 13 promises made as part of six guarantees.
Leave aside six guarantees, Revanth Reddy failed in waiving crop loans of farmers and betrayed them. After instigating the farmers during the assembly elections to secure crop loans upto Rs.2 lakh, he cheated them, the former Minister slammed.
Stating that the BRS party had opened a call centre over crop loan waiver on August 6, the former Minister said in the last 10 days, over 1.16 lakh complaints were lodged by farmers from across the State.
“Revanth Reddy deceived farmers to win the Assembly elections. After coming to power, he dumped them. In fact, Revanth Reddy should tender resignation for failing to fulfil the promises made to farmers,” Harish Rao said.
He further pointed out that the Congress government had left the farming community in the lurch by diverting the Rythu Bandhu funds for crop loan waiver. The State government did not offer Rythu Bandhu nor effectively implemented the crop loan waiver scheme, he maintained.
“I will conduct a spiritual tour to all temples, mosques and churches and pray to God not to punish the people for the misdeeds committed by Revanth Reddy,” Harish Rao said.
Condemns attack on his camp office
The Siddipet MLA condemned the attack on his camp office by Congress party workers on Friday night. Leaders were being attacked for questioning the government’s failure over crop loan waiver, he said.
“Will such attacks on MLAs’ camp offices fetch investments to the State? Did Revanth Reddy go to America to get investments or to learn tricks for attacking opposition leaders’ offices,” Harish Rao asked and warned that there would be serious consequences, if such incidents recur.
