Telangana: CPI demands Congress government to waive pending crop loans

Over 40 per cent of the farmers’ crop loans not waived, says CPI National Executive member Chada Venkat Reddy

HYDERABAD: The Communist Party of India (CPI) State unit demanded the Congress government to complete the pending waiver of farmers’ crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh.

As per terms and conditions imposed by the State government, each family was being considered as a unit for crop loan waiver eligibility. Accordingly, 40 per cent farmers’ crop loans were not waived, CPI National Executive member Chada Venkat Reddy said.

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With government considering family as a unit, the loans secured by the house owner, his wife, son and daughter-in-law were higher than the Rs 2 lakh ceiling limit. For instance, under Chigurumamidi mandal in Karimnagar, 9,588 farmers were eligible for crop loan waiver and of these only 5,864 farmers’ loans were waived. The balance 3,724 farmers were running around banks and agriculture offices to get their loans waived, he explained.

The CPI leader met Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao on Monday and submitted a representation over the pending crop loan waiver. He also said there was uncertainty over crop loans.

If farmers do not renew their crop loans before June, the interest component would not be waived as per the terms and conditions. On the other hand, there were doubts among the farmers that if they renew the crop loans, their existing loan would not be waived, the CPI leader said.