The amount was transferred to 11,50,193 farmers' loan accounts in the 32 districts in the state towards waiver of loans up to ₹1 lakh.
Published Jul 18, 2024 | 9:34 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 18, 2024 | 9:34 PM
Revanth Reddy addressed farmers who gathered at Rythu Vedikas across the state from the state Secretariat in Hyderabad over a video conference.
In a measure that could further consolidate his position in the Congress, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday, 18 July, presided over transferring of ₹6,098.93 crore to the loan accounts of farmers towards the state government’s crop loan waiver scheme.
The amount was transferred to 11,50,193 farmers’ loan accounts in the 32 districts in the state towards waiver of loans up to ₹1 lakh.
The government had figured out that the waiver would benefit 1,08,3004 families. Revanth Reddy said that loans up to ₹1.5 lakh and ₹2 lakh would be waived by the end of August in two more instalments.
District-wise, the highest amount transferred to farmers’ loan accounts was ₹454.49 crore in Nalgonda district, while the lowest amount of ₹12.53 crore was transferred to farmers’ loan accounts in Medchal-Rangareddy district.
Speaking to farmers who gathered at Rythu Vedikas across the state from the state Secretariat in Hyderabad over a video conference, Revanth Reddy said that the occasion marked the most important, memorable and edifying moment in his 16-year political career.
He sought and obtained applause of approval to his proposal to invite Rahul Gandhi towards the end of August to celebrate the occasion of redeeming the promise of waiving the crop loans up to ₹2 lakh.
Taking a mild swipe at former minister T Harish Rao who said he would resign if the state government can keep its word of waiving the farmers’ loans, Revanth Reddy said that he would not press for his resignation as the Siddiet legislator is sure to go back on his vow.
The chief minister said the previous government had waived only ₹12,000 crore as against the promise of ₹16,000 crore during the first five years under the crop loan waiver scheme.
In the second term, the previous government could waive only ₹9,000 crore as against the promised ₹12,000 crore under ₹1 lakh crop loan waiver scheme.
The total amount the previous government had paid under the two loan waiver schemes came to about ₹21,000 crore. In the first seven months of coming to power, the Congress government has spent up to ₹21,000 crore under welfare schemes, he said.
The commencement of the beginning of the waiver of crop loans up to ₹2 lakh is being seen as the Congress gaining an upper hand over the BRS which has been highly critical of all the Congress’ schemes and has remained very sceptical of Revanth Reddy keeping his word to waive crop loans as the cash-strapped the state had to raise a whopping ₹31,000 crore for the implementing of its promise.
Even as Revanth Reddy was getting ready to transfer the first tranche of loan waiver amounts, BRS working president KT Rama Rao took to X calling the scheme another act of cheating the farmers.
He said the government had diverted ₹7,000 crore from the funds earmarked for Rythu Bharosa for loan waiver. He wondered whether there were only 11 lakh farmers who availed loans up to ₹1 lakh.
He said according to his information there were about 40 lakh farmers who took crop loans up to ₹1 lakh.
He recalled that in 2014 KCR had to pay ₹16,144 crore to waive loans of 35 lakh farmers and in 2018, he needed ₹19,198 crore to clear loans of about 37 lakh farmers.
He also wondered why a white ration card is used to identify a farmer’s family if the government goes by Pattadar passbooks for waiving the loans.
“Why is the chief minister creating confusion over the eligibility criteria,” he asked.
రుణమాఫీ పేరిట మరోసారి తెలంగాణ రైతులను మోసం చేస్తున్న రేవంత్ సర్కార్!
👉 రైతుబంధు కింద జూన్ నెలలో ఇవ్వాల్సిన నిధులలోంచే రు. 7000 కోట్లు రుణమాఫీకి దారిమళ్లింపు.
👉 హక్కుగా రావాల్సిన రైతుబంధు డబ్బు నుండి కొంతమొత్తం విదిల్చి, రుణమాఫీ చేస్తున్నమని పోజులు.
👉 40 లక్షల పైచిలుకు…
— KTR (@KTRBRS) July 18, 2024
According to sources, the state government had used ration card data to identify a farmer’s family so that it would restrict the waiver of crop loans up to ₹2 lakh per family.
If the Pattadar passbook is taken into account, the number of farmers’ loan accounts will swell to about 70 lakh as multiple family members have taken loans which might exceed ₹2 lakh.
If ration card data is taken into consideration, the government could cut down the number of farmers to 60 lakh.
Another area where there is no clarity is how the government uses ration card data to identify a farmer’s family and at the same time go by passbooks for waving loans for those who do not have ration cards.
In the latter case, there is a possibility of multiple family members whose total loans exceed ₹2 lakh getting the waiver benefit.
Another concern has been that the government said that it would apply the conditions that are in force for the sanction of the Kisan Samman Yojana scheme, for waiving the crop loans.
Under the Kisan Samman Yojana, those who pay income tax are not eligible. If the same condition is applicable, several employees who own agricultural land and farmers who file their I-T returns for various purposes stand to lose.
Several farmers have been filing income tax returns as they have to enclose copies of returns to help their children get visas to go abroad for education.
When these concerns were raised, the government gave a clarification that only higher officials would be ineligible for a waiver but genuine farmers who file IT returns for various purposes and get back the tax paid as a refund were eligible for the waiver.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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