The crop loan waiver by the Congress government has led to widespread confusion and frustration among farmers. Many eligible farmers are not receiving the promised loan waivers due to stringent and complex eligibility criteria.
Farmers are questioning why they haven’t received the waiver and are confronting Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) and bank officials for answers. Many protests have been staged in front of banks in places like Warangal and Asifabad as farmers demand explanations. Officials are citing directives from higher authorities and unable to provide satisfactory responses.
CM Revanth Reddy, in a meeting with collectors, stated that out of 90 lakh ration cardholders in the state, 70 lakh people have loan accounts and assured that all would receive loan waivers. However, in practice, the number of eligible beneficiaries has been significantly reduced. Despite the initial promise, only 32 lakh farmers are receiving loan waivers, leaving around 40 lakh eligible farmers excluded. This has been attributed to the implementation of very strict rules by the government.
Regulations such as excluding income tax payers, government employees, and making ration card mandatory have made many farmers ineligible for the scheme. The government has not provided clear regulations or explanations for the reduced number of beneficiaries.
There are also concerns about the budget allocated for the loan waiver in the recently introduced state budget. Initially, CM Revanth Reddy mentioned that Rs. 40,000 crores would be needed for the waiver. This figure was later revised to Rs. 31,000 crores, but only Rs. 26,000 crores have been allocated in the budget.
This discrepancy of Rs. 5,000 crores has raised questions and suspicions about the government’s commitment to the loan waiver. Many believe this shortfall in the budget is the reason for the reduced number of beneficiaries.