<p>Farmers, who were offended by Cooperation Minister H S Mahadev Prasad’s ‘lazy’ remark against farmers, staged a protest in a meeting convened by the district administration, at the Zilla Panchayat Hall, here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The minister was presiding over the meeting, convened in the wake of a threat by the members of Raithara Athmahatye Thade Jagruthi Samithi that Independence Day would be observed as Black Day.<br /><br />Prasad said, “While a few farmers promptly repay loans — availed from both commercial and cooperative banks — some wait for waiver of loans and do not take any steps to repay. So, if the government waives off farm loans, only such ‘lazy’ (maigalla) farmers will be benefitted”. <br /><br />Objection to ‘lazy’<br />Representatives of farmer organisation, present in the meeting, objected to the ‘lazy’ remark. They said, the minister was belittling the farmers by dubbing them lazy. <br /><br />District convenor of Raitha Sangha Honnuru Prakash said, people know about the lazy ministers in the State government. <br /><br />“Terming farmers lazy is not acceptable. So, the minister should apologise,” he demanded. <br /><br />Prasad said, “Almost 92 per cent of the farmers, who had availed loans from cooperative banks, have repaid the loans. I only meant to say that those who do not care to repay loans are negligent. Do not misunderstand me”.<br /><br />Wild boar menace<br />Following a complaint from farmers that wild boars were destroying their crops including sugarcane, the minister directed the officials concerned to take steps to curb the boar menace.<br /><br />He said that the permission of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests was necessary to tackle the boar menace, and hence the Forest department officials should seek the permission at the earliest.<br /></p>
<p>Farmers, who were offended by Cooperation Minister H S Mahadev Prasad’s ‘lazy’ remark against farmers, staged a protest in a meeting convened by the district administration, at the Zilla Panchayat Hall, here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The minister was presiding over the meeting, convened in the wake of a threat by the members of Raithara Athmahatye Thade Jagruthi Samithi that Independence Day would be observed as Black Day.<br /><br />Prasad said, “While a few farmers promptly repay loans — availed from both commercial and cooperative banks — some wait for waiver of loans and do not take any steps to repay. So, if the government waives off farm loans, only such ‘lazy’ (maigalla) farmers will be benefitted”. <br /><br />Objection to ‘lazy’<br />Representatives of farmer organisation, present in the meeting, objected to the ‘lazy’ remark. They said, the minister was belittling the farmers by dubbing them lazy. <br /><br />District convenor of Raitha Sangha Honnuru Prakash said, people know about the lazy ministers in the State government. <br /><br />“Terming farmers lazy is not acceptable. So, the minister should apologise,” he demanded. <br /><br />Prasad said, “Almost 92 per cent of the farmers, who had availed loans from cooperative banks, have repaid the loans. I only meant to say that those who do not care to repay loans are negligent. Do not misunderstand me”.<br /><br />Wild boar menace<br />Following a complaint from farmers that wild boars were destroying their crops including sugarcane, the minister directed the officials concerned to take steps to curb the boar menace.<br /><br />He said that the permission of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests was necessary to tackle the boar menace, and hence the Forest department officials should seek the permission at the earliest.<br /></p>