Under the previous scheme, the government paid ₹10,000 per acre annually, regardless of land cultivation status, with no cap on the land area eligible for the subsidy
Published Jan 02, 2025 | 7:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 02, 2025 | 7:50 PM
The Telangana cabinet may limit Rythu Bharosa payments to land under cultivation Representational Image. (Creative Commons)
A four-member cabinet sub-committee, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, met on January 2 to recommend that Rythu Bharosa payments be made only for land where crops are grown. The sub-committee’s findings will be presented to the state cabinet, which is set to meet on January 4 to finalize Rythu Bharosa payments for the rabi season.
The BRS has been coming down heavily on the ruling Congress, that by postponing the payment of Rythu Bharosa of ₹15,000 per acre for a year, it was going back on its Assembly election-eve promise.
The cabinet sub-committee recommended a publicity campaign in all villages before implementing Rythu Bharosa, set to begin after Sankranti. This campaign will involve conducting gram sabhas from January 5 to 7 to inform farmers about the revamped Rythu Bandhu scheme.
Under this scheme the previous government used to pay ₹10,000 per acre per year, regardless of whether the land is under cultivation or not. There was no cap on the extent of the land for which the subsidy amount used to be paid.
“Every farmer who has raised crops in his farm should get Rythu Bharosa for the crop that he is growing. This proposal would be placed before the cabinet,” official sources said on Thursday, 2 January.
Each mandal would be divided into three segments and gram sabhas would be held on these days. At these gram sabhas, applications would be accepted from farmers for payment of Rythu Bharosa.
According to sources, the government is also mapping the area under cultivation to ensure that the Rythu Bharosa amount would reach genuine farmers. The Revanth Reddy government had already said that it would not pay Rythu Bharosa to the lands that had been left barren or where real estate projects have come up.
Sources indicated that, for now, the cabinet sub-committee has not recommended exempting income tax payers from the Rythu Bandhu scheme. However, concerns remain as the Revanth Reddy government opposes providing Rythu Bandhu to government employees with land or income tax payers.
The sub-committee has addressed fears of a cap on farm land area for Rythu Bharosa payments. While the government had considered limiting the scheme to small and marginal farmers with land holdings of up to five to seven acres, the sub-committee has decided not to impose any cap. It has agreed that all farmers who cultivate land should receive Rythu Bandhu, regardless of land size.
The subcommittee which had been constituted quite some time ago, could not finalise the guidelines for eligibility for payment of Rythu Bharosa. The last time the sub-committee met was on 28 December. 2024.
There were concerns about whether Rythu Bharosa would be paid for only one season for crops like turmeric and cotton, as well as a lack of clarity on horticultural crops, which cover about 14 lakh acres in the state. Since these crops have a growing cycle of 10 to 12 months, it remains uncertain whether the government will provide two instalments of Rythu Bharosa for them.
The cabinet sub-committee also refrained from specifying the Rythu Bharosa amount, although the ruling party had promised ₹ 7,500 per acre per season, totaling ₹15,000 for the entire agricultural year, including kharif and rabi seasons.
Sources noted that the self-declaration forms, or “applications,” from farmers are designed to ensure Rythu Bandhu benefits only those actively cultivating crops, rather than those with agricultural land in their passbooks that is not currently under cultivation for various reasons.
Under the BRS government, farmers did not need to apply for Rythu Bharosa at the start of the agricultural season, as the money was automatically credited to their bank accounts. This new requirement to fill out applications and submit them to authorities may inconvenience farmers, requiring them to spend additional time on paperwork
After the cabinet sub-committee meeting last Sunday, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the Congress government was committed to honour its promise to pay Rythu Bharosa to the farmers, come what may. He had said that the information collected by farmers on how much land is under cultivation and under which crop, had been analysed for finalising the guidelines on the eligibility criteria.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
