BRS, BJP claim credit for Telangana CM’s announcement on farm loan waiver

Hyderabad: The opposition BJP and BRS in Telangana have claimed that the announcement of Rs two lakh farm loan waiver by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is a result of their agitations demanding it and sought to know when the other promises of ruling Congress government would be fulfilled.

Taking on the Congress government, BJP Rajya Sabha member K Laxman on Tuesday asked why should people vote for Congress in the Lok Sabha elections when promises like investment support of Rs 15,000 to farmers and financial assistance of Rs 12,000 to agriculture workers have not been implemented.

Addressing reporters here, Laxman also took exception to Revanth Reddy’s charge that there was a clandestine understanding between BJP and BRS. BRS MLA T Harish Rao claimed that the CM made the announcement to waive farmers’ loans before August 15 only with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls.

The CM should apologize to farmers for not honouring his promise to waive the loan on December 9, 2023, soon after the Congress government assumed office, said Harish Rao, a nephew of former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao. Revanth Reddy made the announcement because of BRS agitation for loan waiver, he said on X (formerly twitter).

The BRS leader also wanted to know when the Congress government would implement its other promises, including investment support of Rs 15,000 per acre, financial assistance of Rs 12,000 to farm workers, Rs 2,500 per month to poor women and increasing the benefit of social security pensions to Rs 4,000. Meanwhile, state BJP spokesperson Amarnath claimed that the fast held by state BJP president G Kishan Reddy on farmers’ issues on Monday led the Congress government to announce the loan waiver.

BJP considers the CM’s announcement to be its “first victory”, he said in a statement late Monday night. The BJP would continue its battle to mount pressure on the government to devlier on all the promises of ruling Congress, he added.

Addressing a Congress election rally in the district headquarters town of Narayanpet Monday night, CM Revanth Reddy announced that his government would waive farm loans upto Rs two lakh as a “single amount” (not in instalments) before August 15. The CM ascribed the delay in implementing crop loan waiver to the model code of conduct for Lok Sabha elections that is in force.

He assured that his government would offer Rs 500 bonus on MSP to farmers on paddy to be cultivated next time. Revanth Reddy also highlighted the poll promises being implemented by his government, including free travel for women in state-run RTC buses, free power supply up to 200 units to poor and LPG cylinders for poor for Rs 500.