Hyderabad: Accusing Andhra Pradesh's Congress Government of failing to mitigate woes of farmers who have lost crops, BJP on Thursday asked the Government to announce one year moratorium on the payment of crop loans.
Addressing BJP State Kisan Morcha's executive meeting
here, the party's Andhra Pradesh unit President, G Kishan
Reddy, demanded that the Government totally waive interests on
the loans of farmers who have lost crops due to scanty rains
and increase in input cost, besides one year moratorium on the
payment of crop loans.
Reddy asked the Government to reschedule the payment
for five years and provide seeds and fertilisers free of cost
to the affected farmers.
Condemning the "indifferent attitude" of the Kiran
Kumar Reddy Government towards farmers, the BJP leader claimed
that 55 lakh farmers have lost their crops spread over 90 lakh
acres. However, the Government has put the figures at 51.53
lakh farmers and 85.6 lakh acres, respectively.
Reddy alleged the State and Central Governments have
been neglecting the farm sector and failed to infuse
confidence in farmers. As a result, hapless and debt-ridden
agriculturists have been committing suicide.
The Government must pay Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each to
the kin of farmers who have committed suicide, he said.
Kisan Morch National General Secretary P Sugunakar Rao
and its state unit chief Shamal Kishore were among those who
addressed the meeting.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 23:07