CM KCR launches Rythu Bandhu ...... Investment Support Scheme for Agriculture : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

CM KCR launches Rythu Bandhu

Investment Support Scheme for Agriculture

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

          For the first time in the country, TRS government launched investment support scheme for agriculture in the State known as Rythu Bandhu when Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao kick started distribution of new pattaadar passbooks for land owners and the cheque for Rs 4000 per acre.

          Redefining the future of agriculture sector in the country, CM KCR on May 10, 2018 launched the path-breaking Rythu Bandhu scheme, extending for the first time in the country, investment support for agriculture in the State in a public meeting in Dharmarajupalle village in Karimnagar district.

The Chief Minister also kick-started the distribution of new pattaadar passbooks for land-owners across the State, the result of a 100-day land purification and updating campaign undertaken by the government in year 2017 to bring in transparency in land transactions besides making it litigation-free. Launching the scheme CM said that this will change the future course of the country. An elderly farmer received the first cheque and passbook from CM KCR hands.

Farmers who attended the meeting in large numbers demanded that the Central government should link the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with agriculture and enable the government bear 50 per cent of farm labour expenses. The meeting also demanded for 25 per cent hike in existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops.

“We have water, power and investment. Now we will fight with the Centre for a remunerative MSP for all crops,” CM declared on behalf of the audience amidst huge applause. He expressed confidence that Telangana State will cultivate three crops a year after completion of major irrigation projects such as Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) which will be ready by this year end.

Of 2.9 crore acre land in the State, about 2.3 crore acres have been verified and around 1.4 crore acres identified as cultivable land. “Whether they take up cultivation or not, the government will issue cheques as well as passbooks with 17 security features to all 58 lakh eligible farmers for this season,” said Chief Minister. The total budget provisioned for the scheme was Rs 12000 crore.

CM on this occasion said that Rs 6,000 crore cash for the first phase, is made available in banks, for Rythu Bandhu beneficiaries, and the farmers are told to maintain passbooks and update their land records.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao also announced that the State government would be launching another revolutionary scheme on June 2, 2018 introducing new land registration system in the State. From then apart from 141 sub-registrar offices 430 tahsildar offices across Telangana will begin land registration. “Land registrations and mutations can be carried out from the Mandal Revenue Offices as well as the Sub-Registrars Offices. I request farmers to maintain their passbooks and update their land records in case of transactions or mutations without fail,” CM said. KCR used the platform of pattaadar passbooks and cheques distribution to announce the changes being ushered in the registration process. CM said in his address that the new system would also ease the burden on the farmers to carry their passbooks to banks and mortgage them for obtaining loans.

CM also urged bankers not to use the amount for any other purpose. He said unlike other States, farmers in Telangana State are not required to handover their pattaadar passbooks to the banks for crop loans and instead, the banks can access necessary details from the government’s website “Dharani” for any details pertaining to land ownership and crop loans availed by farmers.

The Chief Minister also urged the Farmers Associations Coordination Committees (FACCs) to work in tandem with farmers and officials to ensure that all farmers received Rythu Bandhu cheques, seeds, fertilisers and also MSP for their crops, to turn the State into Bangaru Telangana. He reiterated that the Rythu Bandhu scheme cannot be extended to tenant farmers.

Another scheme CM announced from the same platform is the insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakhs to each farmer that would come into force from June 2,2018 coinciding the state formation day. The modalities are being worked out said CM. The scheme envisages that the family of any farmer who dies after June 2, 2018 will receive Rs 5 lakhs insurance from the identifies companies.

From the same platform CM announced that his government would introduce welfare measures benefiting poor people belonging to forward castes. CM said that there are several poor people even in OCs who are living in deplorable conditions and therefore the government has decided to introduce specific welfare measures for their benefit.

The Chief Minister received a rousing welcome from farmers and women in villages while CM undertook a travel by bus from Karimnagar to Dharmarajupalle. The TRS cadre erected arches, posters, festoons and party flags all along the 40-kilometre route travelled by CM. The bus by which CM travelled along with convoy of vehicles was welcomed by drum beating cultural artistes and women folk. Even as the Chief Minister launched the programme here, his cabinet colleagues and public representatives simultaneously took up distribution of cheques and passbooks in all the districts across the State.

It was a landmark day for farmers with all-round festive atmosphere prevailing across the state as the TRS government led by CM KCR launched the Rythu Bandhu scheme, extending investment support for agriculture in the state. His cabinet colleagues and senior officials launched the scheme in all the districts. The event saw active participation of farmers and bringing cheer to many farmers.

Earlier in the day in the morning, all-over the country, the newspaper readers in all Indian languages and of course English, the advertisement campaign came as a surprise, when they saw in their favourite newspaper the advertisements designed for the launch of Rythu Bandhu program by the TRS Government. This has generated maximum attention at the national level as well as state level. The advertisements appeared in national and regional media across the country projecting KCR scheme of investment support to agriculture hinting at a similar scheme would form of part of National Agenda when KCR’s proposed qualitative change political party is launched.

A day before when he addressed a meeting in Medak KCR asked the crowd present there that “order me and I will direct the course of national politics and steer the country”. In response to his KCR appeal the crowd clapped and raised hands. The advertisements in the regional and national newspapers all-over the country is a clear indication that KCR practically declaring himself as the “man of moment” and subtly as someone the country had looked up to for leadership. The advertisements declared the big idea CM KCR is implementing for farmers.