Andhra Pradesh

TDP faults YSR remarks on ryot loans

Special Correspondent

Leaders urge State Government to bring pressure on Centre for hike in MSP

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party has found fault with the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, for `his patently anti-farmer' remarks that banks should not extend loans for the crops not covered by Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, TDP leaders -- Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, K. Vidyadhar Rao, M. Narasimhulu and Padala Bhumaiah -- said Dr. Reddy's statement had sent wrong signals to banks and smacked of his double standard. "After coming to power promising so many benefits to farmers, he wants to withdraw them," they said.

Chilli price

They said Dr. Reddy talked big on welfare of farmers but when it came to implementation nothing was done. He had forgotten the fact as the Leader of the Opposition he was critical of the TDP Government's move to buy chilli stocks at Rs. 2,700 per quintal and had demanded Rs. 3000 per quintal. "Now, he not only justifies the rate of Rs. 2,300 per quintal but also asks banks not to extend loans to chilli growers," they said.

Institutional credit

"This at a time when there is pressure on the Centre both for raising the MSP and bringing more commodities into the MSP fold. In fact he should use his influence to achieve this demand. Dr. Reddy had also forgotten the fact that one of the main reasons for farmers committing suicide was lack of institutional credit. He wanted to deny this credit by his appeal to banks. Another fact is crop loans constituted 13.2 per cent of all banks loans against the Reserve Bank of India norm of 18 per cent.

It was also surprising to note that the Chief Minister had clubbed chilli with tobacco as non-MSP crops. It showed his ignorance, they added.

They criticised the Government for shifting the fasting party leader, N. Rajakumari, to hospital. She was demanding a fair deal to chilli growers.

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