Hyderabad: YSR Congress Party members staged a walk out from the AP Assembly on Wednesday protesting against the failure of the TDP Government in regard to waiver of agriculture loans leading to scores of debt-ridden farmers committing suicide.
The issue of waiver of agriculture loans led to heated discussion during question hour in the House. A number of YSRCP members expressed grave concern over the farmers committing suicide following pressures from the banks and imposing fines on mounting interests, as the TDP government failed to fulfill its election promise of waiving the agriculture loans including gold loans taken for farming purposes.
Replying to the main question on the issue raised by YSRCP member Y Viswesvara Reddy and others, Minister for Agriculture P Pulla Rao explained that the government had so far redeemed 54.06 lakh agriculture loan accounts including 17.29 lakh gold loans taken for crop purposes. He further stated that as per the guidelines of Agriculture Debt Redemption Scheme, 22.52 lakh loan accounts which are less than Rs.50,000 have been fully redeemed. For the remaining accounts, the balance loan amount would be redeemed in four equal installments, he said and added that the government was not aware of the banks issuing notices to the loan beneficiaries for loan recovery.
Not satisfied with the reply of the minister, a number of YSRCP members got up and tried to speak and protested over the failure of the government in keeping up its promise. Leader of Opposition Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy lashed out at the government for doling out a bundle of lies even as the farmers were being driven to commit suicide.
Recalling the promises made by the TDP during the elections to bring back the gold pledged with the banks once Chandrababu Naidu came to power, Jagan said that the farm loans till then amounted to a whopping Rs.87,612 crores. Since Naidu had promised to waive the loans and called upon the farmers not to repay the loans, the farmers had stopped payment to the banks. The farmers used to get interest free loans up to Rs.One lakh and interest at the rate of four annas for loans ranging from Rs. One lakh to Rs.Three lakhs. But since Naidu had asked the farmers not to repay the loans promising their waiver once TDP came to power, the farmers defaulted in payment of the loans. As a result the banks levied interests ranging from 14 to 18 percent and began issuing notices to the beneficiaries.
Jagan further pointed out that the farmers had paid only interest to the tune of Rs.24,000 crores whereas the minister was claiming that the government had paid in two years Rs.7000 crores towards waiver of loans. This is not even one third of the interest paid by the farmers, he pointed out and began a tirade against the government for going back on its promise.
At that stage, the Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao intervened and advised Jagan not to indulge in rhetoric but confine himself to protest as was stated by him for staging a walkout. All the YSRCP members were on their feet loudly resenting the Speaker from preventing their leader from expressing his view on the issue. But the Speaker stuck to his guns and said that either Jagan express his protest or resume his seat.
Thereupon Jagan said that his party members were staging a walk out over the failure of the government in keeping up to its promise in waiving the farm loans and forcing the ryots to end their lives. The YSRCP members then walked out of the House. (NSS).
YSRCP Walks Out Of AP Assembly On Farm Loan Issue
