Date:14/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/14/stories/2008041456700300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

‘Loan waiver scheme will be streamlined’

Staff Reporter

Centre considering reimbursement of Rs.5,000 to farmers who already repaid their loans

KAGAZNAGAR (ADILABAD DT.): Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday said it may take another two months before the anomaly in the massive crop loan waiver announced by the Centre recently is rectified. He said the Government was considering reimbursement of about Rs. 5,000 to the loan accounts of those farmers who had already repaid their crop loans.

Addressing a public meeting at Kagaznagar during his visit to the town for the Praja Patham programme, the Chief Minister broached the subject of crop loan waiver. He said those farmers who were regularly repaying the loans will not be made to suffer because of the anomaly.

Talking about his Government’s efforts to better the lot of farmers, Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy said farmers would stand to gain from the pavala vaddi scheme being extended to them. In the case of Adilabad district, they would also benefit from the additional ayacut of 4.8 lakhs that will be possible once all the projects are complete.

Additional ayacut

Speaking about the Pranahita-Chevella scheme, the Chief Minister said it will not only take drinking water from Pranahita to Ranga Reddy district but will create an additional ayacut of 56,000 acres.

Scholarship

On the Indira Bima Yojana for agriculture labourers, he said children of the labourers who became beneficiaries under the insurance scheme will receive scholarship of Rs. 1,200 in addition to the regular scholarship being received by them.

The money will be utilised for education of the children up to intermediate, he added.

About increasing cement price becoming a stumbling block for progress of Indiramma houses, he said the Government will reimburse Rs. 200 in case beneficiaries purchased cement in open market.

New schemes

Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy laid foundation stones for a number of works that included new roads, irrigation tanks and a layout for indiramma colony besides an Agriculture Research Station.

He sanctioned a dozen road dams and a drinking water scheme for the local Municipality. Labour minister G. Vinod, ZP chairman Rathod ramesh, MLAs Koneru Konappa (Sirpur), C. Ramchander Reddy (Adilabad), N. Diwakar Rao (Luxettipet) and A. Sridevi (Asifabad) and Collector Ahmad Nadeem were present.