A burning topic in agriculture in Telangana these days is the decision of the State government to leave out 14 lakh tenant farmers from the investment support scheme of giving ₹ 4,000 per acre per season to the farming community from the next crop year.
The government had decided against extending the benefit to tenant farmers as it is not possible to identify them because tenancy is an oral agreement with landlords which has no legal validity, said Agriculture Secretary C. Parthasarathi. It was felt that the government would needlessly enter into avoidable litigation issues. However, it was left to landlords to pass on the benefit to tenants, he added.
The seed of excluding tenants and mortgagees from the scheme were sown by an amendment to Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971, in the last session of Legislature in November. Otherwise, the tenants and mortgagees enjoyed all the privileges of licensed cultivators by successive legislations since 1956. Seven years ago, the Andhra Pradesh Land Licensed Cultivators Act had even sanctioned issue of loan eligibility cards to tenants and entitled them to gain access to bank credit, crop insurance, input subsidies and disaster relief.
Though considered a welcome step to a large majority of the 71 lakh farmers in the State, the denial of investment support to tenants to purchase seed, fertilizer, pesticides and other agricultural inputs is now viewed as a dangerous trend to encourage land consolidation because people will focus more on buying land rather than cultivation. It gives scope for more urban people to enter agriculture, purchasing lands and letting them out to tenants who actually experience the shock of crisis in cultivation.
Apart from latest incentive, the absentee landlords will thus also reap the benefits of appreciation in value for their holdings, returns from letting out lands to tenants and interest-free bank loans.
The purpose of giving the money to reduce risk in cultivation is defeated, according to G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.
Mr. Sarampalli Malla Reddy, vice-president, All India Kisan Sabha, said the State-level bankers committee had declared that there are 14 lakh tenant farmers in Telangana. By making pattadars eligible for support scheme, he said the government enabled them to get money irrespective of whether they are into agriculture or not.
