Crop Loan Waiver: Farmers Queue Up Before Banks to Withdraw Cash, Apply for Fresh Loans
Hyderabad: A day after receiving crop loan waiver amount up to Rs 1 lakh each in their bank accounts, jubilant farmers queued up before banks to withdraw the cash and apply for fresh loans for the kharif season.
Agriculture department officials actively coordinated with farmers to provide details and assistance regarding the crop loan waiver.
Farmers across combined Nizamabad disrtrict celebrated the waiver, sharing their experiences with friends and relatives. Small and marginal farmers were particularly overjoyed.
In Nizamabad district, 41,474 farmers received Rs 225.62 crore and in Kamareddy, Rs 233.41 crore was credited into the bank accounts of 45,221 farmers.
Satyanaranana, a farmer from Nandipet, expressing gratitude to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, said, "I renewed my crop loan recently. The government’s sanctioned amount shows as a balance in my account. If I hadn't renewed the loan, the amount would have been repaid to the bank."
Farmers with loans exceeding one lakh rupees are eagerly awaiting the second phase of fund allocation by the state government.
In the combined Warangal and Karimnagar districts, the waiver caused some confusion with regard to the criteria and eligibility.
A bank employee said there was a lack of clear instructions. "The details of the farmers who took loans were not passed to the respective branches," he said. A bank employee from Karimnagar highlighted the confusion regarding the waiver for farmers who used gold as surety for their loans.
The government announced that eligibility would be based on the database of food security cards issued by the civil supplies department. Statements from ministers regarding the required identity documents have left farmers confused.
Chandrakala, a woman farmer from Warangal district, said she would avail a fresh loan after Dasara.
In the combined Adilabad district, Banaji, a farmer from Adagaon, expressed his concern about the delay in receiving the amount.
District officials urged such farmers to file complaints, assuring them that the issues would be resolved within 30 days.
With inputs from L. Venkat Ram Reddy in Hyderabad, Puli Sharath Kumar in Karimnagar, Narender Pulloor in Nizamabad, P. Srinivas in Nalgonda and Pillalamarri Srinivas in Adiabad
