The State government has been positively considering the demand to extend Rythu Bandhu assistance to Podu farmers and other traditional forest-dwellers under RoFR (Recognition of Forest Rights) to benefit SC, ST farmers on par with others. A policy decision in this regard would be taken soon, said Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy.
Responding to queries on Rythu Bandhu during the Question Hour in the Assembly here on Wednesday, Mr. Niranjan Reddy said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had already clarified in the Assembly that the Rythyu Bandhu and Rythu Bheema schemes would continue without any change for now.
The ruling party members Ch. Dharma Reddy, Balka Suman and Koneru Konappa sought to know whether the implementation of Pradhan Mantri’s Kisan Samman Yojana to provide assistance to small and marginal farmers would have any impact on Rythu Bandhu scheme.
The Agriculture Minister said the Rythu Bandhu scheme had no conditions like the Central scheme except that one should be a farmer with Pattadar passbook registered with the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration.
The Centre’s scheme had several preconditions for eligibility like the beneficiary should not be an income tax payer or a pensioner. The Telangana government’s database on farmers to implement Rythu Bandhu and Bheema was helpful for the Centre in identifying the beneficiaries under its scheme. Under the Central scheme, only 33 lakh farmers are eligible to get assistance and those below five acres would get ₹6,000 a year in three instalments. “The assistance provided under the Central scheme is nominal, a mere eyewash and will not truly help farmers,” he said. So far, 75,000 farmers have been paid ₹125 crore under the Central scheme.
However, under Rythu Bandhu, the State government pays ₹10,000 per acre at ₹5,000 for each of kharif and rabi seasons. In 2018-19, 51.5 lakh farmers were benefited when the government extended ₹8,000 per acre per year at ₹4,000 for each season. A total of ₹10,505 crore was paid to farmers. This year, the investment support was increased from ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 per acre and 56.76 lakh farmers were extended the benefit this kharif. Of ₹7,254 crore of assistance to be provided this season, ₹4,389 crore has been disbursed so far. The remaining ₹2,865 crore would be disbursed to 13.78 lakh farmers soon, he said.
The farmers in Telangana would get substantial benefit. A farmer with five acres would get ₹50,000 assistance per year. In addition, 92% of farmers who are small and marginal are also eligible for Asara pensions of ₹2,016 per month and thus, a farmer with five acres of land would get a total ₹75,000 per year, the Minister said.
