Most of the poor tribal farmers in Adilabad and neighbouring districts will be deprived of the financial benefit to be extended by the State government to farmers from kharif-2018 unless they are recognised as farmers with land holdings.
It is ironical that despite giving rights pattas to them on forest lands under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 , the government is not including such lands in the ongoing Intensive Farmer Survey (IFS) which will make them eligible for the direct benefit transfer of ₹ 4,000 towards purchase of fertilisers.
Not on record
“We are conducting the survey under Maa Bhoomi, Maa Panta programme by listing lands as per the 1B records of Revenue Department. Only pattedars in a given village with certain land holding in their names will be eligible for the financial assistance,” explained an official of the Agriculture department which is conducting the survey. As part of the IFS, details of farmers are being entered in a 24 column proforma which will be used for all purposes in future. The details include the nature of cultivation, crops, extent and even bank account and Aadhaar number of farmers.
As the Revenue department does not have the record of lands on which pattas were given under the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, the question of enumeration of such extents does not arise. This will render ineligible for any governmental financial assistance over 37,000 tribal farmers in the districts of Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial and Kumram Bheem Asifabad.
No compensation
“We were not given compensation for crops damaged during the heavy rainfall of 2015,” pointed out former Adilabad Pardhan Adivasi sarpanch of Ginnera gram panchayat of Indervelli mandal in Adilabad district, Arka Khammu as he dwelt over the disadvantage of their records not being taken into account by the Revenue department. “All the 392 farmers who were given FRA rights pattas to 1,400 acres in our gram panchayat limits will have to forego the ₹4,000 DBT,” added Markaguda hamlet Raj Gond headman Purka Manohar.
The four districts in question, which had formerly constituted undivided Adilabad had a total cultivable area of about 6 lakh hectare or 15 lakh acres. This includes the 1.35 lakh acres of forest land under cultivation by tribals on which rights pattas were given.
Another section of farmers which is bound to be kept away from the ₹4,000 DBT is the tenant category. “If the tenant farmers hold a genuine record of tenancy, they will be eligible for the benefit,” an official clarified.
