A Cabinet Sub-Committee, constituted by the Telangana government, on Wednesday, began taking feedback from farmers and people on the implementation of the ruling Congress’ guarantee Rythu Bharosa scheme.
The Sub-Committee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, held the first meeting in Khammam on Wednesday.
The meeting, held for the erstwhile Khammam district, was attended by two other members of the Sub-Committee – Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Revenue Ponguleti Minister Srinivasa Reddy.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Congress government is determined to implement the Rythu Bharosa scheme. The Sub-Committee was constituted last month to take feedback from farmers and other stakeholders to work out modalities for the scheme.
Rythu Bharosa was one of the schemes promised by Congress in Assembly elections. Under the scheme, annual financial assistance of Rs.15,000 per acre will be provided to farmers. This scheme will replace the existing Rythu Bandhu, implemented by the previous government of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), under which farmers were getting Rs 10,000 per acre.
Vikramarka, who is also the Finance Minister, said the Sub-Committee’s exercise is aimed at taking suggestions to draft modalities so that the benefits reach the eligible farmers. The Sub-Committee will visit all 10 erstwhile districts to take suggestions from people and farmers before submitting its report to the government. The report will be discussed in the upcoming Budget session of the state legislature before finalising the modalities.
He said the government would make an allocation for implementation of the scheme in the full-fledged State Budget for 2024-25. He said since the Centre could not present a full-fledged Union Budget due to Lok Sabha elections, the state government also had to present a vote-on-account Budget.
Agriculture Minister Nageswara Rao said the government was taking all steps to do justice to small and marginal farmers. He said the schemes of the previous government did not reach the real beneficiaries. Revenue Minister Srinivasa Reddy said the exercise was aimed at making sure that there is no misuse of public money. He said the previous government used to take decisions within four walls and impose it on people but their government was working in a transparent manner by taking feedback from people.
The Rythu Bharosa scheme will cover tenant farmers as promised by the Congress. The tenant farmers were not beneficiaries of the previous government’s scheme. There were also allegations that assistance under Rythu Bandhu was given to landlords, including those who were not engaged in agriculture.