Steps taken to implement third phase of crop loan waiver on I-Day, says Telangana Minister Tummala

Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Tuesday said steps are being taken to implement the third and final phase of crop loan waiver on Independence Day.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to announce the third phase of loan waiver (of loans up to Rs two lakh) at an event to be held in Khammam district on August 15.

"The government wants to announce the Rs two lakh loan waiver in the meeting of the Chief Minister at Wyra on Independence Day on the occasion of Godavari river waters being released to Khammam district," he told reporters here.

As promised by the ruling Congress, the loans of farmers who borrowed up to Rs one lakh were waived in the first phase which began on July 18 with an amount of Rs 6,098 crores being released for the purpose..

The government kicked off the second phase of waiver of loans of up to Rs 1.50 lakh on July 15 with an outlay of Rs 6,198 crore.

In a veiled reference to BRS launching an instant messaging app number to help farmers who have not received the Congress government's crop loan waiver, the agriculture minister said the opposition party should first look into the loans which were not waived during its tenure in power.

The Congress government's loan waiver process is not over yet and it is still underway, he added.

Inputs from PTI