Give guarantee-free loans to farmers: Etala asks Bankers

Finance Minister Etala Rajender today said the State government could succeed in its efforts to strengthen the systems with priorities for rapid growth.

Addressing an SLBC meeting with Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and bankers here on Monday, Rajender asked the officials to come forward to lend loans without any guarantee and interest. The infant State of Telangana was facing teething problems and efforts are being made to overcome the hiccups, he maintained. Keeping this in view and coupled with better rainfall, the bankers should substantially co-operate with the government and help farmers get adequate loans, he said.

“Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is firm to deliver the goods to the farmers by waiving their crop loans and also input subsidy”, he maintained. It is the time for the bankers to come forward and offer guarantee-free loans to the farming community, he said. Rajender also said the State government will soon release 12.5 crore crop loans to the farmers. The government, he said, has taken steps in this direction and there was no need of panicky among the farmers. The bankers should conduct district-level meetings on lending loans to the farmers, he suggested. (NSS)