Telangana’s Agriculture Minister, Tummala Nageswara Rao, has provided insights into the ongoing farm loan waiver scheme state, seeking to dispel confusion and rebut allegations.
The minister’s clarification comes at a time when the state government has been actively implementing one of the largest loan waiver programs in the country.
Minister Tummala emphasized that the use of ration cards in the loan waiver process is strictly for identification purposes to ensure that only eligible families benefit from the scheme.
“The ration card mechanism helps us identify the families who are genuinely in need of this financial relief,” he stated during a press conference at the Secretariat in Hyderabad.
Addressing concerns regarding the eligibility criteria, Minister Tummala clarified that the loan limit of Rs.2 lakh applies to a farmer’s family collectively.
“If family members have different passbooks, the loan facility can be availed together, and the waiver amount will be divided equally among them,” he explained.
The second phase of the loan waiver launched by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has seen the government depositing Rs.6,198 crores into the bank accounts of over 6.4 lakh farmers, covering loans up to Rs.1.5 lakh. This follows the first phase, where Rs.6,035 crores were deposited for 11.34 lakh farmers, totaling a relief of Rs.12,225 crore for 17.75 lakh farmers across both phases.
The government’s commitment to waive loans up to Rs.2 lakh is projected to cost Rs.31,000 crore.
Minister Tummala also addressed the criticism regarding the implementation speed and financial implications, stating, “Unlike previous governments, we are not spreading the waiver over the years but are doing it swiftly to provide immediate relief.” He pointed out the contrast with the previous government’s record, noting that while they waived Rs.28,000 crore over ten years, the current administration is set to surpass this amount in its first crop season.