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HYDERABAD: Intending to keep his promise made in the Telangana Rashtra Samithi manifesto, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said the government will waive off Rs 24,000 crore worth crop loans of farmers in a phased manner. Weeks after routing the Opposition in state elections, KCR promised to complete major irrigation projects in three years and provide water for irrigating 1.25 crore acres. But he made it clear that tenant farmers would not be part of Rythu Bandhu scheme and they would have to be taken care by land owners.

KCR brushed aside the Congress’ demand for crop loan waiver in one go, stating that it was the Congress which had promised to do so and not the TRS. The TRS will do it in instalments, he said. adding that Congress failed to waive off crop loans in a single stroke in Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

In his reply in Assembly to governor’s address, the CM said that unlike previous governments in the undivided state, the TRS government has definite plans to implement its plans and would not be “shooting arrows in the dark”.

Working on defining unemployment for giving allowance to jobless, says KCR

KCR said good roads indicate the culture and status of the state. The government would come out with a policy on roads and spend big on development of existing major roads and connect every new gram panchayat with a BT road.

The CM said the government would strictly enforce the new Panchayat Raj Act to ensure clean and green villages and ₹500 fine would be imposed on people for littering. This would be enforced after Lok Sabha elections, he said.

He made it clear that it will take time for distribution of unemployment allowance to jobless as government is working on defining “unemployment” and new guidelines have to be formed and eligibility criteria to be decided.

