After making provision in the Budget for Annadatha Sukhibhava, the State Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to provide ₹10,000 including ₹6,000 announced by the Central government recently, to each farmer family.
It decided to pay the entire ₹10,000 to those farmers not covered under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi announced by the Centre. The State government provided ₹5,000 crore towards the Annadatha Sukhibahva in the vote-on-account presented a few days ago but did not announce the modalities.
The farmers holding more than 5 acres were not eligible for the benefit.
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Hence, the State government had decided to extend the benefit to “each farmer family” irrespective of the landholding, Agriculture Minister Somireddi Chandramohan Reddy told media persons after the Cabinet meeting.
It would be extended to the tenant farmers also. The government would pay 4,000 in addition to the ₹₹6,000 being given by the Centre. About 54 lakh farmers would be eligible under the Central scheme. Another 10 to15 lakh farmers, who hold more than 5 acres, would be benefited by the State government move, he said.
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He said the Centre would release ₹2,000 per farmer as the first instalment. The State government would pay ₹3,000 during the first instalment before the end of February.
The Centre would pay ₹1,080 crore and the State government ₹2,370 crore taking the benefit to ₹3,450 crore per instalment.
Debt redemption
The modalities for tenant farmers were being worked out.
In addition, ₹8,000 crore would be paid to farmers under debt redemption scheme in March and April.