Rythu Bandhu amount to be distributed from Wednesday, over 70 lakh farmers to get benefited

Accordingly, the amount would be deposited directly into the bank accounts of 70.54 lakh eligible farmers this season.

Hyderabad: This year will end on a happy note for farmers in the State with Telangana Government commencing distribution of Rythu Bandhu assistance of Rs.7,676.61 crore from Wednesday for Yasangi season.

In the 10th season of the Rythu Bandhu scheme, Rs.5,000 per acre would be distributed as farm investment support to the farmers. Accordingly, the amount would be deposited directly into the bank accounts of 70.54 lakh eligible farmers this season.

The farm investment support amount of Rs.7,676.61 crore being extended under Rythu Bandhu would cover 1.53 crore acres in the Yasangi season. Since the launch of Rythu Bandhu scheme in 2017, a staggering Rs.65,559.28 crore have been deposited into the farmers accounts directly in the State.

In the last Vanakalam season, Rs.7,434.67 crore was deposited under Rythu Bandhu scheme into the accounts of 65 lakh farmers. This season, the assistance has been increased to Rs.7,676.61 crore.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s ambition was to ensure that farming community, which feeds the nation, should never seek alms but should dictate terms, said Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy.

“Telangana is the only State in the country, which is delivering farmer-centric governance” said Niranjan Reddy in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Instructions have been issued to the officials to ensure that the Rythu Bandhu amount is deposited into the bank accounts of farmers without imposing any cuts.

The Chief Minister had launched the Rythu Bandhu farm investment support scheme five years ago with an objective of providing Rs.4,000 per acre per season, which was later enhanced to Rs.5,000 per acre per season i.e., a total Rs.10,000 per acre per year. The scheme, which is considered to have brought a revolution in the country’s agriculture sector, is delivering optimum results.

Impressed with the Telangana Government’s welfare and development programmes for farming community, farmers across the nation were demanding respective State Government’s to replicate such programmes, the Minister said.

Stating that Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, free power supply for agriculture sector and irrigation water were farmers rights, the Minister said unfortunately those ruling the country lacked commitment in ensuring farmers welfare.

Taking a dig at the BJP-led union Government for neglecting the farming community, the Minister said synchronisation of NREGA with agriculture sector was proposed and pensions to farmers, aged above 60 years were assured but they were never implemented.

Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations in extending Minimum Support Price for crops were never considered. To top it all, false assurances were given to double the farmers’ income but the farming community in the country was deceived with ulterior motives, he slammed.

Union Government’s attitude towards farmers should change and it should strive for their welfare, he added.