Telangana Government Neglecting Farmers: Congress

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N Uttam Kumar Reddy accused Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of neglecting the agriculture sector and farmers of the State.

Addressing a public meeting "Ryotu Rana Bheri" at Devarkonda on Thursday, Reddy slammed the TRS-led government for failing to fulfil its promise of waiving off farmer loans of up to Rs. 1 lakh.

He said that the CM wanted the farmers to remain under debt until the next State elections, so that he could make more promises to gain their votes and remain in power.

"Around 37 lakh farmers are still stuck with old debts due to lack of loan-waiver schemes. Nearly 3.5 lakh women in the farming sector who had mortgaged their jewellery in order to pay up the debts are yet to get any relief. KCR is deliberately delaying clearing the crop loan dues as he wants to divert the money for other projects," he said.

Reddy demanded that the State government clear all pending debts in a single go immediately, and pay ex-gratia to the kin of the farmers who had committed suicide over these debts. He emphasized the need to eliminate middle-men and private money-lenders through Grameen Bank loans to prevent these deaths.

The TPCC president also alleged that around Rs. 920 crores given by the Central government to Telangana towards drought relief were diverted to other schemes by the State government. He demanded that the government reveal the details of the diversion to the public. Claiming that the farmers of Telangana had already lost four crops in a row due to the negligence of the State government, the TPCC chief demanded that the government extend all possible help to the farmers during the ongoing Kharif season.

Reddy also said that despite the ruling of the High Court, the government was not willing to pay a balanced compensation to the evacuees of the villages that would be submerged under the reservoir projects. He questioned the CM's "hesitation" in compensating the oustees under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.