YSRCP seeks waiver of crop loans

YSR Congress Party on
Friday demanded the Government to declare an immediate loan and interest waiver
on farmers’ crop loans for the season in the flood affected areas in the wake
of the destruction caused by the Nilam cyclone.

The party’s Central
Governing Council (CGC) discussed the havoc caused by floods and the absence of
flood relief measures at a meeting presided over by party honourary president
Smt. Y. S. Vijayamma at Lotus Ponds here.

Briefing the media
after the meeting, party Political Affairs Committee (PAC) member-coordinator
Konatala Ramakrishna said the party opined that the Government has totally
failed to anticipate the seriousness of the cyclone threat and in taking up
precautionary measures.

The party wanted the
Government to hike the ex-gratia to Rs.3 lakh from Rs.1.5 lakh offered to the
families of those killed in the floods besides announcing loan and interest
waiver for farmers including tenant farmers and provide seeds and fertilizers
on 75 per cent subsidy to those farmers who lost their crops, he said.

“The meeting also asked
the Government to announce loan waiver, if any, to all flood –affected
agricultural labourers, weavers and other artisans and offer fresh loans to
them,” Ramakrishna said, adding that tenant farmers should be offered a special
package since they are the worst sufferers. The loans taken by the women’s self
help groups should be rescheduled for next year and interest waived for the
season, the meeting demanded.

The meeting asked the
Government to offer compensation at the rate of Rs.10,000 per acre to all
cotton, chilly and paddy farmers who lost their produce in the floods.

Besides building pucca
houses to all those who lost shelter due to the floods, the Government should
also come forward to offer loans to the flood-hit cattle growers to enable them
to buy cattle afresh, the meeting demanded.

The meeting was
attended by party MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders besides the CGC members.

(Updated on Nov 9, 2012)