Participants want Rythu Bharosa for tribal, dalit farmers raising crops in 10 acres

Mesram Jangu, a tribal farmer from Narnoor mandal maintained that the scheme should be confined to tribal and dalit farmers, while exempting landlords.

Adilabad: Participants of a public hearing meeting on Rythu Bharosa scheme opined that the incentive should only be extended to farmers and tenant farmers growing crops in 10 acres. Hundreds of farmers, tenant farmers and general public took part in a district-level meeting held to gather opinion from various stakeholders over eligibility criteria and other aspects of the financial input scheme in Utnoor on Thursday.

The chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee on Rythu Bharosa, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, members Thummala Nageshwar Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, D Sridhar Babu and in-charge minister D Seethakka participated in the meeting.

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Mesram Jangu, a tribal farmer from Narnoor mandal maintained that the scheme should be confined to tribal and dalit farmers, while exempting landlords. He said tribal farmers were unable to register profits due to increasing expenditures involved in raising crops. He wanted the government to limit the scheme to tribal and dalit farmers.

Karunakar Reddy, a farmer of Talamadugu mandal said the scheme should be extended to tenant farmers who form 50 percent of the total farmers. He sought the government to amend the existing Tenant Farmers Act. The participants expressed views against providing the incentive to landlords, realtors and rich farmers and non-agriculture farms.

A common suggestion made by a major portion of participants was the scheme should benefit only those engaged in farming, especially small and marginal farmers. Another common opinion expressed during the meeting was to confine the incentive to genuine farmers growing crops in 10 acres. The participants wanted the government not to provide the scheme to uncultivable lands.

Bhatti Vikramarka said a decision would be taken after consultations with all sections of society. He said the government would not make a unilateral decision with regard to the initiative. A report incorporating views of all would be tabled in the Assembly and the opinion of legislators would also be considered.

MP Godam Nagesh, MLC Dande Vittal, MLAs K Premsagar Rao, Anil Jadhav, P Harish Babu, Kova Laxmi, Vedma Bojju, Vivek and Collectors Rajarshi Shah, Venkatesh Dothre, Kumar Deepak, Abhilasha Abhinav, Superintendents of Police Gaush Alam, Dr Janaki Sharmila, DV Srinivas Rao and ITDA-Utnoor project officer Khusbu Gupta were present.