The dues pending under the Debt Redemption Scheme launched by the previous government stand at ₹7,582 crore, according to Agriculture Minister K. Kanna Babu.

The government would have to clear the fourth and fifth instalments, and the “matter is under examination,” he said replying to a question raised by Peddapuram MLA N. Chinarajappa (TDP) and others during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Friday.

The Minister said that the government would have to pay ₹3,603 crore towards the 4th instalment and ₹3,979 crore towards the 5th. The previous government could not pay the total dues during its five-year rule, he added.

Bonds that had no legal validity had been issued to the farmers. While the total loan waiver would be around ₹84,000 crore, the previous government brought it down to ₹24,000 crore after constituting many committees. Still, the budgetary allocation did not match the requirement, the Minister said. Also, against the total release of ₹16,512 crore, only ₹15,279 crore was spent on the scheme.

A G.O. was issued in haste on March 10, 2019, a day before the issuance of the general elections notification, on the remaining instalments, the Minister said.

Earlier, Parchur MLA Y. Sambasiva Rao (TDP) demanded that the government pay the dues with 10% interest. The TDP government had issued G.O. 38 releasing ₹7,859 core towards pending dues, he said.

Farmer suicides

To another question by Raptadu MLA T. Prakash Reddy, Dharmavaram MLA K. Venkatarami Reddy (both YSRCP) and others, Mr. Kanna Babu said 1,160 farmer suicides had been reported from 2014 to 2019 across the State. Of them, only 454 cases were confirmed as farmer suicides by the district-level three-member committees.

“Now, the government has decided to reverify the remaining 706 cases. If found eligible, they will be paid an ex gratia of ₹7 lakh each, the Minister said.

Stating that the agriculture sector was under crisis across the country, Mr. Kanna Babu said a farmer-friendly government was there in the State.

The government was ready to bail out the farmers from distress, and the district Collectors would have to respond immediately if any farmer commits suicide. The government would pay ₹7 lakh as ex gratia for accidental or suicidal death, he said.