Farmers' suggestions to be forwarded to Centre: Minister

Hyderabad, Mar 17 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Minister for Agriculture N Raghuveera Reddy today assured representatives of farmers that their suggestions on farm loan waiver scheme announced in the Union Budget would be forwarded to the Centre.

Addresing a seminar here on 'Guidelines to farmers loans waiver scheme', organised by the Indian Peasants Forum, he said the main aim of the government was to provide benefits to all the farmers in the state.

He said the state government was committed to the welfare of farmers and due to the pro-farmer schemes launched by the Centre and the state governments during the last four years, the self-respect of the farmers had enhanced.

He said the state government was pursuing various methods to provide permanent benefits for the farmers and improve their economic conditions. The state government had also increased the subsidy to farmers from Rs 4,532 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 22,530 crore in 2007-08.

He said the loan waiver scheme would benefit nearly 85 per cent of the farmers in the state who had availed loans from the banks.

UNI BR GKT 2101