Enraged farmers took to the streets, protesting against the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government’s announcement that only those loans taken during 2013-14 and are under Rs 1 lakh would be waived, after a heartbroken farmer died in the chief minister's native district of Medak while watching the announcement on television.
Mutyala Sangaiah, 40, died of heart attack at the Polkampally village in the Munipalli mandal after realising that his outstanding loan of Rs 2.21 lakh with the State Bank of India would not be waived, as per the announcement of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday. Sangaiah and his parents Balamma and Asaiah had taken loans by mortgaging their 7 acres of land from 2010 till 2012.
“My son was hoping that all the loans that farmers have taken since 2009 would be waived,” said Balamma. Following Sangaiah’s death, farmers' unions and several political parties blocked roads in several parts of Medak, including the district headquarters of Sangareddy.
“The TRS had assured farmers that it would waive all loans they had taken since 2009, and they have to keep their word,” said District Federation of Farmers Unions president Narsimha Rama Sarma in Sangareddy.
Farmers blocked highways in Kondapaka, Papannapet, Nangunur, Siddipet and Kolcharam in Medak.
Effigies of KCR were burnt in Nizamabad, the native district of Agricultural Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy. Protests were also held in Adilabad. A mock-funeral of KCR’s effigy was also conducted at Tallamadugu in Adilabad.
“The loan-waiver promise was incorporated in the TRS manifesto; TRS leaders repeatedly made that announcement in their poll campaign. Loan waiver was the reason why the party won the elections,” said CPI Telangana state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy.
“KCR should rethink and waive loans taken by farmers irrespective of the year or loan amount,” demanded newly-elected Congress Legislature Party leader K Jana Reddy.
