TS has waived farm loans worth Rs 17,000 cr: KCR

Hyderabad, Nov 10: Telangana government is the first state government in the country to waive off farm loans to the tune of Rs 17,000 crore, said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao during a debate in the assembly on Monday. Participating in a heated discussion on farm loan waiver, Chandrasekhar Rao said Telangana government's decision to waive such a huge amount was a courageous one. Against a target of Rs 12,000 crore loans during kharif season, Rs 8,100 crore loans were distributed so far, he said. Refuting the charges made by Telugu Desam leaders that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government is ignoring the promises it made in its manifesto, the chief minister said his government was very much implementing its promises. Stating that normally Reserve Bank of India reschedules the amount earmarked for loan waiver, the chief minister said the RBI had refused to do so this time. Earlier, TDP floor leader Errabelli Dayakarrao slammed the TRS government for ignoring its promises made in its election manifesto on the issue of farm loan waiver. Recalling that TRS had promised to waive up to Rs 1 lakh in its election manifesto, Errabelli said the Telangana government was now stating that it was ready to waive only crop loans. He then went on to demand that the government should consider to bring long-term loans under the preview of the farm loan waiver scheme.