Thursday, June 1, 2017

Fast forwarding farm economy : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Fast forwarding farm economy
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
Telangana Today (02-06-2017)

            A series of innovative steps focused on improving the life of farmers is reviving up agriculture in Telangana.

            Ever since the state of Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014, in the three year governance, among umpteen welfare and development initiatives of the Government, the one that tops is the welfare of farmer. It is not an exaggeration to say that, nowhere in the country, or to that matter, nowhere in the world, the farmers’ interests are protected, safeguarded and perennially given a thought, the way it is done in Telangana. Farmer Loan waiver, giving input subsidy, providing free power, construction of Godowns and many more such welfare measures have been initiated and implemented by the Telangana Government to make Agriculture a profit making sector. Majority of people in Telangana depend and live on agriculture. That is the reason why government accords top priority to it. To avoid migration of farmers and increase the productivity modern technologies have been provided for agriculture. Marketing centers have been set-up to procure agriculture product and to ensure supporting price. Beginning with Loan waiver to farmer, the recent decision to give Rs. 8, 000 per acre to the farmer as input subsidy to buy fertilizers, seed and other connected things is a proof of Chief Minister’s commitment to agriculture sector and welfare of farmer. In the long run and in the near future when one crore acres get irrigated water, and then it is certain that Telangana becomes a golden Telangana with all fertile lands around.

            The list that is not exhausted has a number of welfare measures intended to farmer in it. Loan waiver; supply of seeds and fertilizers on time; invoking PD Act on those who indulge in spurious activity; subsidizing Rs. 8000 per acre per farmer towards agriculture investment; use of internet to pass on agriculture related information; soil testing; reviving land records; registration of sadabainamas-the plain paper agreements; appointing one agriculture officer for every 5000 acres; bringing in State Krushi Vikas Yojana scheme; preference to micro irrigation; subsidy for poly and green house cultivation to SC and ST farmers; encouraging mechanization in farming; establishing horticulture university; establishing food processing center, agriculture poly techniques and forest college; payment of input subsidy including arrears; construction of godowns on a large scale and providing loan equaling to 75% of produce that they put in godowns to the farmer; supply of food in agriculture markets at Rs 5; enhancing of labor rates to Hamalis; 9 hours free power supply for agriculture and making efforts to provide round the clock supply by the end of 2018; sanction agriculture power connections; reservations in market committees; making Telangana as seed bowl of India; exgratia to the farmers who committed suicides…..and many more such welfare measures. An urge to do more to the farmer will probably pave way for designing more and more welfare measures in future.

            Immediately after coming to power, the TRS party, as promised in election manifesto, waived the farmer loans to an extent of Rs One lakh as on 31st March 2014. In addition to the earlier three installments, the fourth and final one was released and paid on April 11, 2017. With this the total amount of Rs 16, 374 crores benefiting 35.3 lakh farmers which has been waived is released. 

Measures are initiated to supply Intime seeds to the farmer as well as fertilizers and pesticides. The earlier practice of supplying seeds from only Mandal center resulting in long ques and lathi charges was done away and in its place subsidized seeds are being supplied at the doorstep of farmer through primary agriculture cooperative societies. To overcome the possible deficit when needed, the seeds, fertilizers and pesticides are stocked well in advance in the godowns. Government has initiated stringent measures to control supply of spurious seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.


Chief Minister has announced in Pragathi Bhavan’s Janahitha Hall on April 13, 2017 interacting with farmers, that, from May 2018 about 25 lakhs tones of fertilizers would be supplied to farmers through depositing Rs 4, 000 per acre twice a year for both Kharif and Rabi crops, into farmers’ accounts. For the monsoon crop the amount would be deposited in May month and for the summer crop in October month said CM. To ensure a corruption and hassle-free process of this scheme, CM proposed formation of village level, Mandal level, district level and state level farmer societies.

To put an end to all land related disputes government decided to revive the land records. As part of this several reforms have been initiated in registration and mutation policy. Sadabainamas (Agreements on white paper) pertaining to up to five acres in villages are registered free of cost. About 1639 lakhs of acres of land benefiting 11. 19 persons has been registered this way. For lands passed on to the next generation on hereditary basis mutations have been done within ten days. For rest of the lands mutation is to be done within 15 days from the date of registration. Government has appointed one agriculture extension officer for every 5000 acres of land who will guide the farmer constantly.

Priority has been given for micro irrigation by way of providing subsidies to SC and ST farmers. Poly house and green house cultivation is encouraged. Mechanization is introduced for increasing productivity. In addition to loan waiver government also provided input subsidy including payment of arears since 2009. Godowns have been constructed on a large scale to enable farmer to stock his produce until he gets expected price with facility to provide loan up to 75% on the stocks.

Despite adequate water supply through borewells farmer were facing problem due to power cuts earlier. To overcome this Government has been supplying 9 hours free and quality power from April 2016 for which nearly 35% of overall power capacity is consumed. Efforts are afoot to supply round the clock power by the end of 2018 and meticulous plan is in progress. To make it happen additional sub-stations, power transformers, KV lines are planned. The government which sanctioned 2, 58, 195 agriculture power connections till December 2016 has decided to increase it to another 63, 700.

Unheard in the history anywhere, in Telangana, reservations are introduced to nominate market committee chairpersons making way for SC, ST, BC and women farmers getting nominated for these posts. Government has initiated every step to convert Telangana as seed bowl of India.

Chief Minister KCR and the Government of Telangana for whom the farmers’ interests are on top priority have been thinking to add more and more welfare measures in future. The government wants to do away with any Act the provisions of which are against the interests of 97% of small and marginal farmers. There shall not be any place for corruption in any activity in which a farmer is involved, be it, land registration or obtaining an encumbrance certificate or mutation process or getting pattaadar passbook or any other connected activity.


Probably this Government may come out with more and more reforms soon benefiting the farmer. The proposal of CM to form farmer societies at every level beginning with village up to state is in this direction only. END

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