Hyderabad: Telangana chief minster Revanth Reddy on Sunday, December 1, said that the current state government is paying Rs 6500 crore as interest on the Rs 7 lakh crore debt that the state is in every month. He said that ex-chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), never told people about the debt of Rs 7 lakh crores.
“The total debt burden on Telangana was Rs 7 lakh crores when Congress assumed power by defeating KCR. Despite the debt burden of Rs 7 lakh crores, the Congress government has been implementing the guarantees without getting discouraged,” Revanth Reddy claimed.
The Telangana chief minister added that his government is promoting the farmer as a “king” and is supporting them by implementing the farm loan waiver scheme, free electricity, subsidized fertilizers, minimum support price (MSP) and the employment guarantee scheme.
“KCR did not disburse Rythu Bandhu benefit to farmers during 2023 monsoon. My government paid Rs 7625 crore soon after coming to power. As per the promise made during the elections, we waived farm loans up to Rs 2 lakhs,” stated the Telangana chief minister.
Addressing lakhs of farmers at the ‘Rythu Panduga’ event, the Telangana chief minister said that rice produced in the state’s soil will be distributed to the people through fair price shops. “We will also serve fine rice meals to the students in Welfare Hostels. The government is taking decisions apolitically for the welfare of farmers. Farm loan waivers up to Rs 2 lakhs has been completed 100 per cent,” claimed Revanth Reddy.
He claimed that the previous BRS government did not waive loans up to Rs one lakh properly even twice. “BRS leaders made the promise of farm loan waiver scheme up to Rs 1 lakh in a single strike but failed to implement in 4 installments,” said the Telangana chief minister. He added that due to the non-waiver of loans for four and a half years, farmers had to pay Rs 8578.97 crores as interest.
“I appeal to farmers not to fall prey to the lies spread by the opposition parties. We constituted a cabinet sub-committee to finalize modalities for Rythu Bharosa. Will decide a policy for Rythu Bharosa through a debate in the Assembly,” said the Telangana chief minister, and added that the farm loan waiver scheme has also been extended to those who do not possess ration cards.
