No limit of acres for Rythu Bharosa: TG Govt
Hyderabad: The state government is reportedly leaning against imposing a ceiling on the number of acres eligible for the new Rythu Bharosa scheme, which will replace the existing Rythu Bandhu initiative starting Sankranthi. Instead, the government aims to exclude non-agriculture lands to reduce financial strain, official sources said.
Rythu Bharosa promised Rs 15,000 per acre per year (kharif and rabi at the rate of Rs 7,500 per acre each season), against Rs 10,000 per acre per year (Rs 5,000 per acre each for kharif and rabi) being extended under Rythu Bandhu, which will impose additional financial burden on Congress government.
A review conducted by the Congress government on the implementation of Rythu Bandhu, which ran from 2018 to 2024 under the previous BRS government, uncovered significant misuse of funds. Non-agriculture lands — including real estate ventures, roads, and hillocks — were allocated funds, resulting in an estimated waste of Rs 25,672.18 crore over six years, averaging Rs 4,000 crore annually. The Congress government believes that this savings can be redirected to ensure Rythu Bharosa is implemented without capping the number of acres.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy formed a Cabinet sub-committee, led by deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, to devise guidelines for Rythu Bharosa. Speculation arose that the Congress government might impose an upper ceiling of 5 or 10 acres per farmer, unlike Rythu Bandhu, which had no such limit.
However, sources indicate that the Chief Minister is not in favour of such a ceiling. Data reveals that only 10 per cent of farmers — approximately 1,16,722 individuals — own lands between 10 and 53 acres, covering 18.48 lakh acres. In contrast, the majority (56.10 lakh farmers) own less than five acres each. The Chief Minister believes restricting benefits for larger landowners could tarnish the government's image and offer political leverage to the opposition BRS.
Instead of imposing a ceiling, the government plans to conduct a comprehensive agricultural survey to identify and exclude non-agriculture lands, preventing the misallocation of funds. This move could enable the Congress government to fulfill its promise of providing Rs 15,000 per acre annually without financial burden.
Rythu Bandhu, introduced by the BRS government in 2018, provided Rs 10,000 per acre annually without restrictions. Over 12 installments spanning six years, the scheme disbursed Rs 80,453.32 crore, including the wasted Rs 25,672.18 crore.
While the Congress manifesto also promised Rs 15,000 per year for tenant farmers and Rs 12,000 for agricultural laborers under Rythu Bharosa, the process of identifying beneficiaries has yet to begin. Official sources suggest these sections will not be covered from Sankranthi and it might be delayed further.
The cabinet sub-committee’s report will be tabled during the winter session of the Legislative Assembly, commencing December 16, with MLAs from all parties expected to provide input before the scheme’s guidelines are finalised.