Vijayamma asks PM to announce loan waiver

Hyderabad, Feb 20,
2013: YSR Congress party honourary president Smt. Y. S. Vijayamma has written
to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh asking the Centre to come to the
rescue of farmers and rural artisans in Andhra Pradesh by announcing a loan
waiver scheme immediately for them.

Recalling her earlier
letters addressed to the PM on Nov 10, 2012 and Dec 14, 2012 seeking financial relief to the
debt-trapped farmers through a loan waiver scheme in the wake of the Neelam
cyclone, Smt. Vijayamma, in her latest letter dated Feb 19, 2013, welcomed
hiking of the MSP (Minimum Support Price) for common grade paddy from Rs.1000
per quintal in 2010 to Rs. 1250 per quintal for the year 2012-13.

Pointing out that the
increase in MSP only amounted to 25 per cent while all the input costs like seed
cost, fuel costs, fertilizer prices, labour costs and the general inflation
have gone up by several times making the agricultural activity unviable, Smt.
Vijayamma said that a loan waiver would go a long way in mitigating the
financial suffering of the debt-ridden farmers.

“In the larger
interest of farmers, rural artisans and the food security of the country, we
request that the central Government should immediately come up with a loan waiver
scheme for the benefit of farmers and rural artisans. While farmers are also to
be protected from fluctuations in fertilizer prices, a formula should be
evolved to hike MSP in relation to increase in costs,” she said in her letter
to Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Since the DAP, NPK and
MOP prices have gone up by 150 %, 200 % and 300 % respectively over the last
three years, the farmers very much needed the loan waiver scheme immediately,
she said in her letter.

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