HYDERABAD: The Telangana government’s revenues are expected to drastically decline in June, with the implementation of lockdown for 20 days in the State. Lockdown-2 imposed on May 12 will be in force till May 30, and an extension of the lockdown beyond May 30 has not been ruled out yet.
In the meantime, the State government has to pay nearly Rs 5,000 crore to farmers during the Kharif season, at Rs 5,000 per acre; it had allocated Rs 14,800 crore for Rythu Bandhu in the 2021-22 Budget. Besides this, Rs 5,225 crore has been proposed for crop loan waiver in the current fiscal.
With crucial activities like registration of properties, sale of petrol and diesel having almost come to a halt, the government has to depend on loans to dole out Rythu Bandhu benefits to farmers. It has already taken Rs 5,500-crore State Development Loan in the last two months. If the lockdown persists, the chances of crop loan waiver would be remote.