Rythu Bharosa: Consensus eludes Cabinet sub-commitee on new norms

Despite meeting for several times and six months of brainstorming, the sub-committee is facing challenges as there was no unanimity in the issue of dispensing with certain old norms.

Hyderabad: Consensus seems to be eluding the Cabinet sub-committee on key issues during the deliberations on Rythu Bharosa. The State government is currently in the process of finalizing new norms for the implementation of the enhanced crop investment assistance under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, the Congress government’s version of the KCR government’s Rythu Bandhu scheme.

The four-member cabinet sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka was constituted on July 3, 2024. Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswar Rao, IT Minister D Sridhar babu and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy are the other members of the committee that was tasked with drafting the new guidelines. Despite meeting for several times and six months of brainstorming, the sub-committee is facing challenges as there was no unanimity in the issue of dispensing with certain old norms.

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The sub-committee had its last meeting on December 29 to review new guidelines and feedback from farmers.

One of the primary points of agreement among the committee members is the need to eliminate what they consider “wasteful expenditure” from previous disbursements. Specifically, they aim to ensure that assistance is only extended to farmers who actively raise crops, thereby cutting down on payments to those who do not cultivate their land.

The committee is also debating a proposal to increase the assistance amount by only Rs.1,000 per acre, raising it from Rs.5,000 to Rs.6,000 per acre per season immediately, while making provision for further incremental increase to Rs.7,500 per acre per season as promised in the party’s election manifesto. However, some members have expressed concerns that such an increase could impact the party’s credibility.

Another serious issue under discussion is the inclusion of horticultural crops and those crops with a duration of eight to 12 months, which are cultivated on over 14 lakh acres. The committee is yet to decide whether these crops will qualify for one or two tranches of assistance.

The eligibility of income tax assesses and government employees who own agricultural land is also under consideration. The Cabinet sub-committee is expected to meet again in the next few days to finalize its recommendations and submit a report to the cabinet, which will make the final decision.