Delay in crop loan waiver, Rythu Bharosa aid disbursal causing distress among ryots: BRS

BRS committee criticizes Congress for delay in crop loan waiver and lack of support for farmers, leading to distress.

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party committee formed to study the increase in the incidence of farmers’ suicides during Congress rule since December 2023 has stated that it is delay in crop loan waiver up to ₹2 lakh and denial of the promised investment support under Rythu Bharosa that are pushing farmers into distress.

Speaking to newspersons here on Thursday after visiting several districts for three days, chairman of the committee S. Niranjan Reddy and party leaders B. Vinod Kumar, Jogu Ramanna, P. Ajay Kumar, Y. Anjaiah Yadav and others said the ruling party was unable to digest the fact that people, particularly the farming community, were recollecting the good work done by the K. Chandrasekhar Rao government in the past.

The Congress government was also unable to stand the visit of BRS leaders to the families of farmers who had ended lives out of distress and they were not allowed to meet the families at several places. Yet, they were able to console some of the grieving families and extended some financial assistance on behalf of the party.

The committee faulted the government for not consoling at least some of the farmers’ families to infuse some confidence among the kin of farmers who ended lives. The members criticised the government for disbursing Rythu Bharosa support only to 4.42 lakh farmers in 577 villages out of a total 70 lakh land-holding farmers. Similarly, the support to farmworkers was given only to 20,000 against a total of 40 lakh.

Mr. Niranjan Reddy said farmers at several places had complained to the committee that procurement centres were opened for purchase of the produce from farmers after disposal of stocks with them at several places, particularly in case of crops such as chilli, groundnut, cotton and pulses. They would soon submit a report to the government.