Majority of small and marginal farmers were refusing to accept the Rythu Bandhu scheme cheques distributed by the State government on the ground that the new passbooks had reduced their original land holdings. They have lodged complaints with the district revenue and agricultural officials.
They said they had received lower amount under the Rythu Bandhu cheques than what they were entitled to and refused to accept the cheques. Those who collected the cheques were apprehensive that encashing the cheques would mean they have accepted the mistakes in record of their land holding.
The official figures released by the district administration shows that only 89,087 passbooks out of the 1,35,280 passbooks had been distributed and only 92,916 cheques out of 1,58,786 cheques have been given away in the district.
A farmer from Challur village of Veenavanka mandal, Narayandas Srinivas, said that the new passbook noted that he was in possession of only 4 guntas of land while the actual holding was 22 guntas and he received only a cheque for ₹400. “I had informed the revenue authorities, but in vain. I have not encashed the cheque fearing that the authorities would create land records stating that I have only 4 guntas of land,” he said.
Rythu Ikya Vedika district president Maduganti Venkat Reddy said more than 40 % farmers were worried as their land holdings had come down in the new passbooks, he said and added that they were planning to launch an agitation with the slogan of “we want our own land and our investment support scheme assistance”.
Correction under way
Admitting to mistakes in passbooks, revenue officials said they were opening complaints centres in villages and collecting the details to correct the mistakes. The printing of passbooks was being done in Chennai so it would take some time for securing the correct the passbooks, they maintained.
