All set for launch of ryot benefit scheme

Assistance increased to ₹13,500 per annum

VIJAYAWADA, ANDHRA PRADESH, 08/06/2019: Kurasula Kanna Babu swearing-in as Agriculture Minister at Velagapudi Secretariat on June 08, 2019. Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar/The Hindu

A day ahead of the launch of YSR Rythu Bharosa, a financial assistance scheme for the farmers, the State government decided to increase the assistance to ₹13,500 per annum from ₹12,500 as envisaged earlier.

The government, following suggestions from farmers’ bodies and NGOs, has agreed to extend the assistance in three instalments. Accordingly, ₹7,500 will be paid in May to meet kharif expenses, ₹ 4,000 will be given in October for rabi operations and the last instalment of 2,000 will be paid during Sankranti to “fill farmers’ homes with happiness.”

Also, the assistance amounting to ₹67,500 will be given for five years instead of four years. The Central government’s share is ₹6,000 per annum which will released under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi programme.

These decisions were taken at the fourth meeting of the AP Agriculture Mission chaired by Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who will launch the scheme at Kaktur in Nellore district on Tuesday. The government christened the scheme as ‘YSR Rythu Bharosa- PM Kisan.’

Deadline extended

The deadline for submission of applications has been extended till November 15. About 40 lakh farmer families will receive the benefit on Tuesday, and the number of beneficiaries is likely to touch 54 lakh in the days to come. The government is also revising the guidelines to include more number of farmers. At present, former the MPTCs, ZPTCs, chairmen of ZPTCs, IT payers etc were excluded under the scheme. Now, the exclusion list includes only current and former MLAs, MPs, MLCs.

“The previous government had wrongly assessed that there were 43 lakh farmers and the data had many loopholes at the entry level itself. The government is purifying the data,” said Agriculture Minister K. Kanna Babu. It was found that about 3.5 lakh farmer families were ineligible for the benefits. Another 6 lakh farmer families that were eligible were excluded.

As many as 1.37 lakh eligible farmers had died in the recent past. The government would extend the benefit to wife/legal heirs, the Minister announced at a press conference.

Deputy Chief Minister (Revenue) Pilli Subhash Chandrabose, Water Resources Minister P. Anil Kumar, Marketing Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, Agriculture Mission Vice-Chairman M.V.S. Nagi Reddy spoke.