HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party has described as eyewash the Rs. 16,000-crore rehabilitation package for farmers announced by the Central Government as Rs. 7,000 crore was loan and the remaining was mobilised from its annual plan budget.

The entire amount was to be diverted from existing schemes in irrigation and other sectors. It would not be raised separately, Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K. Yerran Naidu, and Rajya Sabha members -- M.V. Mysoora Reddy and Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy -- said at a news conference on Saturday.

They criticised the Centre for coming up with a meagre allocation to fund the package after raising farmers' hopes for two months. In fact, the State Government had sought assistance of Rs. 51,000 crores. But, the Centre exposed its inefficiency by sanctioning Rs. 16,000 crores for three years.

They demanded waiver of loans of small and marginal farmers in totality as against the interest waiver offered by the Centre.

They criticised the Central and State Governments for cheating the farmers with false promises that huge assistance was in the offing.

Refugee property

At a separate news conference, TDP MLAs, D. Narendra Kumar and K. Harishwar Reddy, alleged that a private force was guarding the refugee property at Puppalaguda here. They asked the Government to name its leader.

They said the Government had assured in the Assembly that it would protect the land but allowed the force to take control.

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