Harish Rao demands white paper on interest-free loans to women

BRS MLA accuses Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka of trying to deceive women with blatant lies

Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress government of misleading the public on interest-free loans, BRS MLA and former Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday demanded a white paper detailing the Rs 21,000 crore in interest-free loans and the interest paid on them.

Addressing a news conference along with a host of party leaders at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS leader said both the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka tried to deceive women with blatant lies during the Women’s Day celebrations event at Parade Grounds. Emphasizing the importance of speaking the truth, especially when holding a responsible position, Harish criticized Revanth for making false claims both as an opposition leader in the past and now as the Chief Minister.

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Harish pointed out that the Congress government had falsely stated that they had provided Rs 21,000 crore in interest-free loans. According to Harish, only loans up to Rs 5 lakh were interest-free, as per a 2015 government order issued by the KCR administration. Loans exceeding this amount incur a 12.5% interest rate charged by banks.

He further accused the Congress government of misleading the public by claiming that all loans provided were interest-free. He demanded a white paper detailing the interest-free loans and the interest paid on them. He also criticized the Congress government’s handling of women’s self-help groups and the distribution of school uniforms. He alleged that the government falsely claimed to have increased the stitching charges for uniforms from Rs 50 to Rs 75 per set, while in reality, only Rs 50 was provided.

Harish also took up the issue with the Congress government’s claims regarding mobile fish vans and the distribution of insurance cheques, calling them a mere joke. He urged Revanth Reddy to ensure that the cheques issued to women’s groups were honoured. The Congress government must fulfill its promises and release the funds for interest-free loans immediately. He demanded transparency and accountability from the administration, urging them to prove their claims with concrete evidence.