Congress leaders today criticised that Chief Minister K Chandra sekhar Rao did not meet with bankers to provide loans to the farmers besides not releasing Rs1500 cr bills pending after procuring their produce. The Congress attributed the lopsided policies of the government which compelled 4000 farmers commit suicides in the past four years. A team of the congress leaders met Chief Secretary SK Joshi at Secretariat here and submitted a memorandum saying that KCR failed in fours to protect the interests of the farmers and who are resorting to commit suicides. MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, former speaker K Suresh Reddy and former MLA M Kodanda Reddy and others met the chief secretary and sought steps for welfare of the farmers.
Later talking to media persons, the congress leaders accused the chief minister of ignoring the plight of the farmers who with no other go are resorting to extreme steps. Due to negligent attitude of the chief minister coupled with problems and incurring losses farmers committing suicides. They expressed displeasure at the government and the bankers for not giving sufficient loans to the farmers in the state who are falling prey to private money lenders.
The Congress also slammed the KCR Government for not extending Rythu Bandhu scheme to tenant farmers and agriculture workers who are put to untold misery and hardship. Cheques and pass books are helpful to the land owners and the tenant farmers are hapless due to partisan attitude of the Chief Minister. They suggested the government to urge Nabard release Rs 5000 cr towards disbursing loans to the farmers in the state. On coming to power in 2019 elections the congress government will waive off farm loans upto Rs 2 lakh, fix MSP to farm products and fix scale of finance to the farmers they said. The government should immediately release Rs 1500 cr to pay pending bills to the farmers they congress leaders demanded.(NSS)
