Relieve farmers of loan interest burden: Cong to T'gana govt

The Telangana Legislative Assembly today saw a heated debate on the farm loan waiver and other issues of agriculture with the main opposition Congress demanding that the state government relieve the farmers of interest burden as it implemented the debt waiver in phases.
Making it clear that the issue of loan waiver is closed as far as the state government is concerned as it already waived loans to the tune of over Rs 16,000 crore for more than 35 lakh farmers, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said it has not received any complaints either from bankers or farmers.
He, however, said the state government is ready to pay another Rs 200 crore or Rs 300 crore towards interest as it is not a huge amount.

He said opposition Congress and TDP can submit applications from farmers, who have a grievance.
Leader of Opposition (Congress) K Jana Reddy and state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government should address the issue of interest burden on farmers as the loan waiver was implemented in instalments and not at one go.
Rao said the government would make all efforts to help the farmers, he said.

State Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy said the power shortage faced by farmers was overcome due to the efforts of the government.
Through the irrigation projects of Kaleswaram, Palamuru-Rangareddy, Sitarama, the waters of Godavari and Krishna are diverted for the benefit of farmers, he said.

The state government is making efforts to provide irrigation facility to one crore acres, he said.
The rejuvenation of tanks under the Mission Kakatiya scheme brought an additional eight lakh acres under irrigation, he said.
The government has decided to provide Rs 4,000 per acre as investment for farmers from the next rainy season, he said.
Congress MLA T Jeevan Reddy demanded that the government help farmers, whose crops suffered damages due to rains and also provide bonus on MSP.
BJP's G Kishan Reddy demanded that the government address the problem of spurious seeds, provide relief for crop damages due to rains and implement the crop insurance scheme effectively.