Minister for Social Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu on Saturday said that the government had comprehensive data on only 50 per cent of farmers’ bank account, hinting that the lack of data was hindering the smooth implementation of loan waiver scheme.

Participating in the Raithu Sadhikara Sadassu at Suvidha Viswaniketan school at Muddanur, the Minister said that the government had complete details of 42 lakh bank accounts of farmers out of the total 82 lakh farmers’ accounts in the State. The officials are finding it difficult to collate data of eligible farmers as officials had to cross-check various details including Aadhaar card numbers and multiple accounts operated by farmers’ families.

The Ministers’ comment assumes significance in the light of a spate of complaints from farmers over missing names in the list of eligible beneficiaries. Farmers who tried to contact the officials concerned on the toll-free numbers could not register their grievances as the system developed technical glitches, a fact which was admitted by Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao.

Referring to the Debt Redemption Scheme, the Minister said the government had extended cent per cent waiver of loans up to Rs. 50,000 for 10 lakh farmers in the State, adding that a fund of Rs. 5,000 crore had been transferred to Farmers Empowerment Corporation to implement the scheme. The Minister also gave away loan waiver letters to the beneficiaries.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was committed to early completion of Gandikota project, Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh Naidu said.