Funds for crop loan waiver on Monday: Harish Rao

Finance Minister T.Harish Rao on Saturday said the state government would release funds for the crop loan waiver scheme of up to 1 lakh each for farmers at one go on Monday. He said the amount would be credited to the accounts of farmers within 15 days.

On August 2, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao announced the implementation of the pending crop loan waiver scheme that was promised during the 2018 December Assembly polls but could not be put in place due to a fund crunch. He instructed officials to complete the pending scheme by September 15.

The government waived crop loans of up to 35,000 in the last four years. Now, it has decided to extend clear loans from 35,000 to 1 lakh. The government credited money in the bank accounts of farmers to clear loans from 35,000 to 51,000 in the last ten days. Now, it has been decided to release the funds required for the scheme at one go to complete the scheme.

Harish Rao on Saturday visited Sangareddy district to launch development works and distribute benefits of welfare schemes to the people. Addressing meetings, Harish Rao cautioned voters that if the Congress was elected to power, farmers would



lose Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima benefits and 24-hour free power. He said poor and needy would also be adversely affected as Congress would not implement several welfare schemes of the BRS government.

Harish Rao distributed BC Bandhu cheques of 1 lakh each to 300 beneficiaries and extended compensation to farmers who lost crops due to recent heavy rains and floods in Sangareddy district. He distributed 4.5 crore to 393 farmers who lost crops on 4,500 acres at the rate of 10,000 per acre.

He reminded farmers that previous Congress governments used to extend 2,000 per acre compensation but Chandrashekar Rao had decided to give 10,000 per acre.

He urged voters to choose between the BRS, which offers 24-hour free power to agriculture, and the Congress, which says three hours of free power was enough and the BJP which wanted to install meters on agriculture pump sets to collect power charges from farmers.

Harish Rao expressed confidence that the BRS would retain power for a third consecutive term in the Assembly polls this year with the support and blessings of all sections of people.