Telangana Government is likely to assess the extent of agricultural land under cultivation before announcing dates of crediting investment support under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. The image is used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF
Telangana Government is likely to assess the extent of agricultural land under cultivation before announcing dates of crediting investment support of ₹7,500 an acre under the Rythu Bharosa scheme.
The government is learnt to have asked the Agriculture department officials at the district level to submit reports relating to land under cultivation in their respective districts so that the benefit of Rythu Bharosa reaches all eligible farmers. The development follows allegations that the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government credited amounts assured under Rythu Bandhu to fallow lands, open lands and lands that had been converted into real estate ventures in the name of implementation of the scheme on saturation basis.
The previous government, according to Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, misused the investment support scheme and had credited huge amounts into the accounts of ineligible people. The Minister, during a video conference with farmers on Tuesday, alleged that huge amounts of public money was wasted by the previous government in the name of Rythu Bandhu.
The Congress Government has therefore decided to restrict the benefit to genuine farmers and was taking steps to see that no eligible farmer is left out of the scheme.
The government had recently constituted a Cabinet sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to elicit views of farmers on the effective implementation of Rythu Bharosa for providing investment support of ₹15,000 an acre every year to eligible farmers.
The Cabinet panel started its interaction with farmers taking their suggestions on Rythu Bandhu for submitting its report to the Government by July 15. The committee is reportedly enquiring about the prospects of imposing ceiling on the extent of landholdings and several farmers have suggested 10 acres as limit for crediting amounts under Rythu Bharosa.
The ceiling is being contemplated to ensure that small and marginal farmers get maximum benefit out of the scheme while it will avoid doling out the benefit to well-to-do farmers saving huge amounts to the exchequer.
‘Lips are sealed’
Finance department officials are exploring various options to raise funds required for implementation of Rythu Bharosa as the kharif season had already commenced. They however, remained tight-lipped when asked about the alternatives other than open market borrowings that are being considered. “My lips are sealed,” was how a senior official responded when asked about the sectors which are being examined for raising the required resources.
