Telangana Unveils ₹31,000 Crore Farm Loan Waiver

The Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has launched an extensive farm loan waiver scheme worth ₹31,000 crore, aimed at benefiting around 70 lakh farmers by August 15. This initiative, fulfilling a major poll promise, involves waiving crop loans up to ₹2 lakh in phases, starting with ₹1 lakh on Thursday, followed by ₹1.5 lakh by the end of July, and completing the waiver by mid-August. The scheme has sparked discussions on its impact on the credit culture and agricultural sustainability, with concerns about financial feasibility raised by experts. Telangana aims to set a benchmark in farmers' welfare, contrasting sharply with the previous government's partial fulfillment of similar promises. The loan waiver is celebrated as a significant achievement and includes a 'thanksgiving' event for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had announced the promise during the Warangal Declaration.