Telangana farmers down to Zero again!

It’s a month, Khareef season has started, but the farmer is still waiting for loan from the banks and the bankers are avoiding providing loans, complaining that they haven’t received amount regarding ‘Runa Maaphi’ scheme of the Telangana government. With no option left, unwilling to let go off the season, the farmers are putting on the crop, bringing money with 3% interest.  

According to the government estimates, out of the 55.33 lakh farmers in the Telangana state, 36 lakh are putting on the crop, depending on the loans with high interest. In this season, the government could only provide loans to 6.16 lakh farmers.

Bankers have actually put the target of providing Rs. 29101 crores (Rs.17460-Khareef, Rs. 11640 (Rabi) worth of loans to farmers in the financial year 2016-17. But in the current Khareef season, the bankers could only provide Rs. 3761 crores. This is now being considered as the negligence of the government, for making ‘Runa Maaphi’, a non working scheme.

Telangana government, in the beginning, has announced to waive off the farmers loans, which are below Rs. 100000 and regarding that, it planned to waive off Rs.17000 crore loans. The government has recognized Rs. 35.82 lakh farmers as eligible to get loan waive off and released Rs. 4230 crores as the first round in 2014. The second installment has been released in two rounds and the bankers said that yet Rs. 8000 crores have to be released. The government then said to release in the third round, Rs. 2020 crores in two installments, but has been postponed again.  

On the other side, the government is seeking the banks, not to link Runa Maaphi with the crop loans. But the banks are strict about their decision and left with no option, the farmers are forced to take private loans with high interest. Doesn’t this again bring down the position of the farmers zero in the state and wouldn’t it be a pressure on the government in turn? Time should answer these questions.