Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka announced on Wednesday that the Congress government will begin implementing the crop loan waiver scheme, waiving crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh per farmer, from this month. The government will also replace the Rythu Bandhu scheme with the new Rythu Bharosa initiative, despite financial constraints.
Addressing a press meet at Gandhi Bhavan, Bhatti Vikramarka stated, “Both the crop loan waiver and the Rythu Bharosa will come into force in July. The previous BRS government had pushed Telangana into a debt trap with its financial mismanagement over the last 10 years, but the Congress government is taking all necessary steps to mobilise funds and fulfil the promises made during the elections.”
The state government has formed a Cabinet sub-committee, led by Bhatti, to develop guidelines for the implementation of the Rythu Bharosa. "We are currently in the process of devising guidelines and will submit a report to the state government by July 15. This report will be tabled and debated in the upcoming Legislative Assembly session by the end of the month. We will take feedback from all political parties before finalising the guidelines and hold workshops in the 19 erstwhile districts to gather input from all stakeholders. The Congress government will not take any unilateral decisions on eligibility norms for Rythu Bharosa," Bhatti Vikramarka asserted.
Responding to reports about potential restrictions on Rythu Bharosa, such as a five-acre ceiling to extend the benefit of excluding non-farming lands, Bhatti Vikramarka said, “It all depends on the feedback we get from political parties, people, farmers, and all stakeholders. If they want the government to extend Rythu Bharosa even to barren lands, layouts, roads, hillocks, and real estate ventures, we will consider it."
Bhatti also held the BRS and BJP responsible for the merger of seven mandals of Khammam district with Andhra Pradesh in June 2014. "When the Congress-led government at the Centre bifurcated Andhra Pradesh in 2014, there was no merger of the seven mandals. But after BRS and BJP came to power at the Centre in June 2014, they merged these mandals with AP. Now, BRS leaders are demanding that the Congress government take back the seven mandals from AP. If BRS leaders are sincere, they should undertake a hunger strike in Delhi to pressure the BJP government to return the seven mandals. Congress will support BRS leaders in this regard," Bhatti stated.
Addressing criticism about the upcoming meeting between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on July 6 in Hyderabad, Bhatti Vikramarka dismissed the criticism. “Some are describing this as a meeting between Guru and Shishya. This is rubbish. Both are CMs of their respective states, meeting to discuss and resolve bifurcation issues that have been pending for the past 10 years,” he said.
