Harish Rao Exposes Congress’s ‘Publicity Stunt’ on Interest-Free Loans for Women
Former Minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao has strongly criticized the Congress government for its inflated claims about disbursing interest-free loans to women in Telangana.
Former Minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao have strongly criticized the Congress government for its inflated claims about disbursing interest-free loans to women in Telangana. Reacting to Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s recent statement in Mancherial that loans worth Rs 21,000 crore were provided to women, Harish Rao termed it a “publicity stunt” designed to mislead the public.
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Interest-Free Loans: Fact or Fiction?
Harish Rao questioned the validity of the Finance Minister’s claim, stating that according to Government Order (GO) 27, interest-free loans are only applicable for amounts up to Rs 5 lakh. He emphasized that women were still paying interest on the remaining Rs 15 lakh of the claimed Rs 21,000 crore loans. He further demanded that the government release a clear order confirming that loans up to Rs 20 lakh were indeed interest-free.
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“If this is not corrected, the Congress will face the wrath of women voters,” Harish Rao warned.
Mismanagement of Loan Insurance and Student Benefits
The BRS MLA also pointed out discrepancies in the distribution of loan insurance and accident insurance cheques. He highlighted that these cheques had been handed out twice, once in Warangal and again in Hyderabad, but none of them had been cleared.
Additionally, Harish Rao raised concerns over the mishandling of uniform stitching charges for students. While the Congress government raised the charges from Rs 50 to Rs 75, the additional Rs 25 has yet to be distributed to the beneficiaries. He called for the stitching charges to be increased to Rs 150.
Srinidhi and Self-Help Groups in Crisis
The former Minister also criticized the management of Srinidhi, a lending body for self-help groups, stating that 40% of the loans have turned into non-performing assets (NPAs). He urged the government to appoint an IAS officer to address the issue and prevent further damage to the women’s self-help group initiatives.
Broken Promises and Hardship for Women
Harish Rao further slammed Congress leader Revanth Reddy’s promises of making women millionaires, accusing the party of leaving them with nothing but unfulfilled promises and hardship.
The accusations have sparked significant debate and are likely to influence the upcoming political discussions in Telangana as women’s welfare continues to be a central issue in the state’s political discourse.
