Loan waiver catch triggers protests

Adilabad/ Nizamabad: Angry farmers on Thursday took out mock funeral processions of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and burnt his effigies and blocked roads in various villages in Talamadugu mandal protesting against the state government’s decision of imposing restrictions on the crop loan waiver. Irate farmers also destroyed TRS flag posts in Mathusangem village in Gandhari mandal of Nizamabad district.

Farmers and activists, irrespective of their party affiliation, participated in the protests, significantly, in regions where the TRS has a strong presence. The farmers alleged that only a few rich farmers who had taken loans in the financial year 2013- 14 would benefit from the loan waiver scheme. They demanded the implementation of the waiver of crop loans for all farmers without any restrictions on the cut-off date.

The farmers staged a rasta roko on the inter-state road at Sunkidi and also in Kuchulapur. They said that Mr Rao was trying to hoodwink them and they also threatened to not to allow TRS leaders and MLAs into their villages if the government failed to implement the crop loan waiver, the TRS’ main poll plank, properly as promised.

Meanwhile, TRS’ senior leaders Addi Bhojareddy and Ganapati Reddy appealed to the farmers not to resort to protests instigated by rival parties and said that the state government would come out with a clear policy decision soon after going through the details of district wise crops loans with the banks.

They said that a team of TRS leaders and farmers of the district would meet the CM on the first day of the Assembly Session, June 9, and request him to consider the waiver of crop loans without any restrictions. Around 2.25 lakh farmers have availed crop loans in Nizamabad district. In 2013-14, farmers received crop loans of Rs 1,863 crore and according to banking sources, 94.22 per cent target of crop loans was achieved in the district.