Telangana: Tummala Asserts No Change in Norms for Loan Waiver Beneficiaries

Hyderabad: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has clarified that ration cards will be used only to identify families who can avail of the farm loan waiver. He alleged that canards were being spread with an eye on political mileage by alleging that the government was restricting the number of beneficiaries.

Addressing the media at the Secretariat in Hyderabad, he said, “The first installment of payment of waiver for those having loans up to Rs.1 lakh will be made on July 18 to the tune of Rs.6,800 crore. This will benefit 11 lakh families. Of the 39 lakh families who have 60 lakh loan accounts, 35 lakh have white ration cards. Four lakh farm families who don’t have them can avail the benefit by approaching the agriculture officials.”

The process of waiving debts of all beneficiaries will be completed by August 15. PM Kisan data was not being used for verification to avail the scheme.

Clarifying on how the loan limit of Rs.2 lakh would apply to a farmer’s family, the minister said that members having different passbooks can avail the loan facility together. The waiver amount will be divided among the family members equally. Loans availed by women will get primacy over those by men.

Class 4 government employees and those drawing pension below Rs.10,000 will be considered for the waiver. Public representatives like MLA, MPs and professionals who are income-tax payers are exempted. Farmers who file I-T returns to be eligible to avail education loans for their wards etc., will be eligible if they are not paying tax for non-farm income.

Answering queries on opposition criticism, Nageswara Rao said, “We did not say we will waiver on December 9 itself when we just came to power. Unlike in the past we are doing the waiver at one go and not installments. While the BRS waived Rs.28,000 crore loans in 10 years, we are waiving Rs 31,000 crores in the first crop season after we came to power.”

“The Opposition is indulging in mudslinging. Those talking of extending the benefit to crop losses after we came to power are conveniently forgetting they had not reimbursed crop losses at all for 10 years,” Nageswara Rao said.

On waiver not being applied to self help groups, joint liability groups he said they are not being considered as they are non-agricultural loans. The waiver will apply to only short-term loans availed for agriculture, Nageswara Rao said.