Farmers Protest for Loan Waivers in Gadwal
A large group of farmers from Gadwal gathered outside the District Collector’s office on Friday. These farmers, who had not received the promised loan waivers, were part of a protest organized by the Nadigadda Rights Struggle Committee. Hundreds of them demanded the Collector come out and listen to their concerns.
In response, the District Collector came outside, accepted their petition, and assured the farmers that he would bring their issues to the attention of the government. He promised to push for action to ensure that families with unpaid agricultural loans would get the loan waivers they were promised.
During the protest, Gongalla Ranjit Kumar, a representative from the Committee, spoke about the unfulfilled promises of loan waivers. He explained that when the Congress party came to power, they promised to waive loans up to 2 lakhs. However, even after ten months, these loans remain unpaid. He also mentioned that the Rythu Bharosa scheme, which was supposed to provide investment support, has not been implemented.
Kumar further pointed out that minor mistakes in documents, like Aadhaar cards, bank passbooks, or land records, are being used as reasons to deny the loan waivers. He urged the Collector to organize a meeting with bankers to resolve these issues quickly.
Ranjit Kumar also warned that if the government doesn’t act soon, many farmers from the Jogulamba Gadwal district will march to the Assembly to continue their protest.
