Telangana: Beneficiaries of crop loans above Rs 2 lakh await waiver

Addressing a programme in Mahabubnagar on Nov 30, CM A Revanth Reddy had said that Rs.2,747 crore were released for waiving crop loans of 3.14 lakh farmers who had availed crop loan over Rs 2 lakh

Mancherial/Nirmal: Beneficiaries of crop loans above Rs.2 lakh are waiting to receive the promised crop loan waiver.

Addressing a Rythu Sadassu programme in Mahabubnagar on November 30, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had said that Rs.2,747 crore were released for waiving crop loans of 3.14 lakh farmers who had availed crop loan over Rs 2 lakh. He had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the State would soon be implementing the waiver for farmers who have a loan of above Rs.2 lakh, once they clear the amount above the Rs.2,00,000 limit. However, the ground reality presents a contradicting picture.

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Agriculture officials said 8,195 farmers were identified to be eligible for waiving off the loan of over Rs 2 lakh in Mancherial district. However, the waiver was yet to be implemented. Consequently, the beneficiaries are forced to wait for getting their accounts credited with the funds by the government.

Similarly, 6,822 beneficiaries of the crop loan waiver were yet to benefit from the initiative in Nirmal district. Officials said that around 25,000 farmers availed crop loans over Rs 2 lakh in the district. A total of 13,343 farmers applied for the waiver. Their wait is still continuing.

Incidentally, around 170 farmers from Walegaon village in Bhainsa mandal claimed that they were denied the waiver due to unknown reasons. They had submitted representations to Collector Abhilasha Abhinav requesting her to take steps to consider their names for waiving the loans recently. Families of the farmers combined availed around Rs.4 lakh. However, no member of a family benefited by the initiative.

Officials stated that waiving crop loans above Rs 2 lakh was being delayed to re-scrutiny of the beneficiaries.

“A majority of beneficiaries are found to be government employees and are from high income groups. The funds would be credited to the accounts of genuine beneficiaries once the process of reverification is over,” an official stated.

It may be noted here that 55,778 farmers were benefited by the crop loan waiver worth Rs 462 crore under the three phases of the initiative in Mancherial district. A total 64,742 farmers were covered by the initiative in Nirmal district so far. The value of the crop loans waived in three phases here were pegged at Rs 588 crore.