Telangana bandh on farm loan waiver issue on Oct 10

Hyderabad, Oct 9: The Congress, TDP-BJP combine and other Opposition parties would jointly organise a bandh in Telangana tomorrow in support of their demand that the TRS government fulfill its farm loan waiver promise at one go rather than in phases.

"If the loans are waived at one go, farmers will get fresh loans for Rabi and if drought-hit mandals are announced, they will get subsidies and relief. We insisted (in the Assembly) on a solution," Opposition Leader K Jana Reddy told reporters in Khammam district.

Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee President Danam Nagender and other leaders took out a rally in the city and appealed to the people to make tomorrow's bandh a success.

The MLAs and other leaders of TDP and BJP held a protest at the Ranga Reddy district Collector's office here today.

In the run-up to tomorrow's bandh, the Opposition parties have been holding protests across the state this week following suspension of 30 members from the Legislative Assembly for disrupting proceedings on the issue.

The Congress, TDP, BJP, CPI, CPI(M) members demanded during the Legislative Assembly session that the TRS government waive farm loans at one go.

The state government said it would make sincere efforts to waive the loans at once. Loans of about Rs 8,000 crore have already been waived.

But, the Opposition parties insisted on implementing loan waiver at one go and jointly called for a shutdown in Telangana tomorrow.

Dismissing the Opposition allegations, state Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy said the state government is making efforts to help the farmers.

The 'bus yatra' taken up by the Congress is not going to help farmers. Have the Congress and TDP-BJP ever sincerely worked for the farmers' cause, asked state Commercial Taxes Minister T Srinivas Yadav.

PTI