Jagan blames TDP govt for farmers’ plight

Says TDP deviating from tall promises made during polls

Hyderabad: The YSRCP on Monday charged the government of going back on its poll promises and letting down the farmers by not implementing the much touted loan waiver scheme.

Initiating the discussion on budget proposals, Leader of Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy said the government had made tall promises but allocated only meagre amount in the budget.

He said the TDP encouraged the farmers not to pay farm-loans prior to the elections by promising that it would be waived off once the party comes to power. But, now the government was trying to avoid implementation of the same under the guise that RBI was not agreeing to it.

Now with bankers issuing gold auction notices to farmers and they losing an opportunity to avail fresh loans for the current kharif crop, their situation was grim. He blamed the government for the plight of the farmers.

He said now every farmer who had taken a loan in the State would have to bear an interest burden of Rs 24,000 and because of the government's apathy many were forced to take loans from private money lenders.

Jagan demanded that the government make allocation of Rs 4,500 crore to complete nine irrigation projects to bring an additional 15 lakh acres under irrigation. He criticised the government for making meagre allocation and neglecting projects like Venkatagiri, Velugonda, Gundlakamma, Handrineeva, Galeru Nagar and others in half-way or in final stages of completion.

He further alleged that the government had misled DWCRA groups. He demanded implementation of 10th Pay Revision Commission report for employees and farmers.

Defending the performance of Congress government, he read out statistics from various reports, and said that YSR government would get 93 marks for the manner in which the State was developed during his period. However, this was challenged by the Finance Minister who wanted to know who gave the marks? "What Jagan is quoting has no sanctity," he said.