Telangana Govt yet to finalise dates for crediting Rythu Bandhu amounts into farmers’ accounts

The Telangana Government is yet to take a call on the dates to credit Rs. 6,000 an acre under Rythu Bharosa, farmers investment support scheme, for Rabi (October-March) season.

Though it has been a practice to deposit the amounts into the accounts of farmers by Sankranti, non completion of survey of agricultural lands, especially the lands under cultivation, is said to be the reason behind the delay in crediting the amount this season. The Government made provision for close to Rs. 9,000 crore into the accounts of over 70 lakh farmers cultivating 1.43 crore acre land and the amounts are likely to be credited once the survey is completed.

The investment support of Rs 6,000 per acre is provided to farmers twice a year. It may be recalled that an amount of Rs. 9,000 crore was released and credited into the accounts of farmers in just 10 days during the last Kharif (June-September) season. The survey, according to officials, is aimed at ascertaining the exact extent of land under cultivation in different districts of the State.

The Government is firm that the amount should be provided to genuine farmers unlike the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government when Rythu Bharosa (then Rythu Bandhu) amounts were credited for fallow lands and even lands that were acquired for infrastructural projects like national highways, resulting in charges of misuse of the the farmers investment support scheme.

The Government had initially considered utilising satellite technologies to identify lands under cultivation, but the proposal was shelved given the scope for errors in these images. “We are firm that only lands under cultivation are covered so that genuine farmers are benefitted,” Farmers Commission chairman, M. Kodanda Reddy told The Hindu. The Agricultural Extension Officers were asked to identify lands under cultivation and submit a comprehensive report on the number of farmers genuinely cultivating lands without giving scope for misuse.

The Government is considering roping in two model farmers (adarsha rythus) from each village to report about the extent of land under cultivation in the respective villages. Modalities are being worked out to identify model farmers who are willing to voluntarily work without seeking any remuneration.

Officials said the Government is likely to review the issue soon and take a decision on the date from which crediting of the amounts into farmers accounts will commence.