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.

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.

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”.

Objection to ‘lazy’
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.

District convenor of Raitha Sangha Honnuru Prakash said, people know about the lazy ministers in the State government.

“Terming farmers lazy is not acceptable. So, the minister should apologise,” he demanded.

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”.

Wild boar menace
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.

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.