Naidu looking for escape routes: YSRC

Hyderabad, July 9: Describing the rescheduling of crop loans as an escape route for TDP to evade its poll promise of waiving all agriculture loans, YSR Congress has said that the government should come out with full clarity as to how will it come to the rescue of the famers in clearing the loans and seeking fresh ones for the ensuing agriculture season.

'There is no clarity in the term of rescheduling while N Chandrababu Naidu had gone hammer and tongs during electioneering and announced that he would waive all agriculture loans after coming to power.

When voted to office, he has been looking for some escape routes though there were precedents of NTR and YSR fulfilling their poll promises and signing the first files on issues which they promised,' Party deputy floor leader Jyothula Nehru told reporters here on Wednesday.

The rescheduling of loans would hardly benefit the farmer and the TDP government did not give any clarity on the exercise. When loans are rescheduled they are converted from short-term to long-term but the interest rate of 14 % remains stable which the farmers have to pay.

TDP did not answer this question and did not speak out whether it will give any guarantee to the banks to enable the farmers to get fresh loans.

The documents, gold and other assets pawned with the banks have to be released to get fresh loans and the Chandrababu Naidu government did not speak on any of these formalities but said there would be a reschedule of bank loans.

'This is totally against what was promised to the farmers. They have been looking forward for total waiver and rescheduling has come as a bolt from the blue. The State government should at least now openly tell how this rescheduling works as giving mere statements will tantamount to theatrics.

Initially, TDP tried to tone down the total agriculture loans in the state by less than half of the actual amount and is now announcing this rescheduling without any backup data. This is only a drama which the ruling party is enacting to drag the loan waiver issue for a longer period.

NTR and YSR have signed on the files fulfilling their poll promises on the day of swearing-in but Chandrababu Naidu has been looking for exit routes,' he said.

Playing the video clippings of Chandrababu Naidu promising loan waiver at various public meetings, he said; 'Even on the reschedule there is not clarity and the statement is ambiguous. We demand that the TDP government should be categorical on the reschedule and the loan waiver.'