Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka urges banks to assist farmers affected by El Niño

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday called upon the state's bankers to take special measures to ease the burden on farmers facing the heat of El Niño in the state. He made this demand while addressing a special session of the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) on 'Drought Relief Measures for Kharif 2026' in Hyderabad. According to reports by BusinessLine and The Hindu, he asked banks to explore possibilities of restructuring loans and providing relief by adjusting interest rates.

The Deputy Chief Minister emphasised that the farming community has been the most affected by this natural calamity. He stated that farmers had made every possible effort during the last Kharif season, but unfortunately, the rainfall they depended upon was not received. Vikramarka said, "A failed monsoon should not create a rift in the relationship between the farmer and their bank." As evidence of the farmers' determination to save their crops, he mentioned that an all-time high power demand of 20,018 MW was recorded on October 16, showing how hard farmers worked to save their produce.

Providing further information on the impact of El Niño, he stated that this event has created a direct climate risk to the lives and livelihoods of farmers. Consequently, the government has declared 365 mandals across 31 districts as drought-hit, of which 111 mandals have been severely affected. The Deputy CM emotionally noted that behind these figures are families who had prepared their fields, invested their savings, and taken loans with a reasonable expectation of harvest.

Vikramarka explained that the lack of rain is not limited to the fields but also puts pressure on groundwater, the power grid, the state's financial position, and the farmers' ability to repay loans. He said that while every individual sees different parts of the problem, a collective response to the entire issue should be given through a forum like the SLBC. He added that the agricultural calendar does not wait for the financial calendar; therefore, merely rescheduling old loans is not the complete answer, but providing new credit to eligible farmers in a timely and necessary manner is equally important.

Apart from farmers, the Deputy Chief Minister advised banks to look towards other needy sections of society. He stated that the needs of students dependent on education loans and unemployed youth should be considered. For unemployed youth, the Congress government will launch the 'Rajiv Yuva Vikas' scheme on November 19, for which he sought the support of banks. He urged banks to be more liberal and adopt a proactive approach in providing financial assistance.

Expressing dissatisfaction regarding education loans, he said, "I do not know why education loans are not being implemented properly. This matter should be monitored by the SLBC." Along with this, he mentioned the need to focus on home loans. To boost the rural economy, he encouraged banks to provide more loans to women self-help groups.

In this meeting, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao also requested bankers to support farmers considering the rainfall deficit caused by the 'Super El Niño' event. He urged banks to achieve the crop loan target of ₹38,268 crore for the Rabi season. Principal Secretary of the Finance Department Sandeep Kumar Sultania and other senior officials were present at this important meeting.