“Do not limit the benefit of Rythu Bandhu only to owners of agricultural lands, extend the benefit to actual cultivators also,” demanded a group of farmers’ organisations led by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) here on Wednesday.
Tenant farmers, Adivasis engaged in podu cultivation and farmers possessing sada bainamas, who constitute more than 11 lakh population in the State need the investment support, said Vissa Kiran Kumar of Rythu Swaraya Vedika.
In a State-wide show, farmers and members from various organisations held protests outside District Collectorates demanding that the government pay heed to tenant farmers, who were actually bearing the expenditure of cultivation.
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Further, the members maintained that tenant farmers remained a neglected lot in Telangana, evident from poor performance in the issuance of Loan Eligibility Cards (LECs).
“While the government’s LECs target was fixed for 4.15 lakh tenant farmers, less than 20, 000 (about 5%) of them are with such recognition till date,” another member said.
All LEC holders should be made beneficiaries of the Rythu Bandhu scheme. A memorandum of demands was submitted to District Collector Anita Ramachandran later.
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The State-wide demonstrations outside offices of District Collectors on Wednesday is also timed with the 160th anniversary of the First War of Independence in 1857. As part of it, the unions are holding a signature campaign to garner support from every district, to table the two Kisan Mukti Bills (Farmers’ Freedom from Indebtedness Bill 2018 and Farmers’ Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Price Bill 2018).
Members from All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, Telangana Rythu Sangham, Telangana Rashtra Rythu Sangham were present.
Farmers take padayatra
BHADRADRI-KOTHAGUDEM Special Correspondent writes: Members of the Telangana Rythu Sangham took out a 15-km-long padayatra in Julurupadu mandal on Wednesday demanding provision of input assistance to all the actual tillers including the “tenant” and “podu” cultivators under the Rythu Bandhu investment support scheme.
Braving the scorching sun, scores of Rythu Sangham activists including tenant and podu cultivators participated in the padayatra registering their protest against the alleged exclusion of more than 5000 “actual cultivators” from the ambit of the Rythu Bandhu scheme in the mandal.
The CPI (M) district secretary Annavarapu Kankaiah flagged off the padayatra at Bethalapadu village on Wednesday morning.
The foot march culminated in the mandal headquarters town of Julurupadu late in the afternoon.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kankaiah said, “It is highly objectionable and illogical to deny the input assistance to the tillers, those who are cultivating the agricultural lands, and dole out undue benefit to the absentee landlords,” he said.
He demanded that the govt. extend investment support to all actual cultivators under the scheme set to become operational on Thursday and strive to address agrarian distress with a pragmatic approach.