All India Kisan Congress vice-president M. Kodanda Reddy has lauded the State government’s decision to waive farm loans up to ₹2 lakh at one go and described it as a bold step despite the financial mess created by the previous BRS regime.
At a press conference on Saturday, he urged Opposition parties to discern the appropriate matters for politicisation. Mr. Reddy said that Congress had undertaken this ‘courageous decision‘ despite the severe financial crisis, with the State burdened by over ₹6.71 lakh crore in loans from the previous BRS regime. He noted that the Congress had assured this farm loan waiver during the Warangal Declaration before the elections, and the Revanth Reddy cabinet had resolved to implement it on Friday.
He recalled that Congress governments, both at the Centre and State levels, have consistently supported farmers, citing the ₹11,000 crore farm loan waiver in united Andhra Pradesh in 2004 and the ₹80,000 crore waiver across the country under the Manmohan Singh government the same year.
Mr. Reddy also flayed former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his family, accusing them of focusing on looting the people rather than aiding the people during their rule from 2014 to 2023.
Kisan Congress State president Anvesh Reddy said that a by-election for the Siddipet Assembly constituency had become imminent reminding that BRS MLA T. Harish Rao had previously announced to resign if the farm loan waiver was implemented by August 15. Anvesh Reddy suggested that Mr. Harish Rao prepare his resignation letter in the Speaker-prescribed format, as the loan waiver would soon be executed. He also urged farmers to celebrate this decision.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders marked the occasion by celebrating the farm loan waiver at Gandhi Bhavan.
Published - June 22, 2024 06:21 pm IST
