Telangana: Officials take time to finalise farmers' data

Hyderabad: The revenue department was supposed to have given the agriculture department data regarding the investment subsidy to be dispensed to farmers by February 15. However, it will not do so for at least another week. The process is taking longer than expected because the department is categorising agricultural lands, identifying lands that are unfit for cultivation, and also linking farmers’ Aadhaar informat-ion with their passbooks. The department is attempting to ensure that there are no errors in the data.

Their most important task is the linking of Aadhaar information. Some farmers have multiple passbooks in different villages, each of which must be verified and linked by officials.  After receiving data from the revenue department, the agriculture department planned to verify it at the field level. However, that will no longer be possible because of the lack of time. 

Meanwhile, the State Bank of India (SBI) has agreed to print the che-ques to be issued to farmers. SBI officials are pressuring the agriculture department to share data regarding the number of cheques to be printed, but the department is not in a position to give them that information. C. Pardhasarathi, the principal secretary of the agriculture department, says that about 70 lakh cheques are required, but the exact figure will only be known when data is received from the revenue department. 

Mr Pardhasarathi says that some cultivable agricultural lands are not being cultivated for various reasons, and some agricultural lands are not fit for cultivation. He says that the investment subsidy will be given for all lands fit for cultivation, whether they are being cultivated or not. It will not be given for uncultivable lands that are covered with rocks, tanks, or buildings.