Vijayawada: It is going to be raining money for women of self-help groups just before the April 11 polls. According to the government schedule, the final instalment of Pasupu Kumkuma the women get the money by April 5 or 6, mere days before the polls.
Notably, the final instalment of farm loan waiver will be implemented in the first week of April.
TD leaders hope that the women groups and farmers will be favourably in-clined towards the TD wh-en they enter the polling booths.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had announced Rs 10,000 for each member of Dwcra under ‘PasupuKumkuma’ programme in February and had given post-dated che-ques. The total amount, given in three instalments 3 Rs 2,500, Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,000 — would be deposited into the accounts by the district administration in the first three days of February, March 8 and April 5 respectively. As many as 86 lakh Dwcra women groups members will be benefited under the Pasupu Kumkuma scheme. By design or destiny, the largest instalment of this sop will be given just five days before voting takes place. The state government has coordinated with the bankers to ensure there would not be any inconvenience to the women in encashing the cheques.
Farmers received the first instalment of the Annadata Sukhibalva cheques in March and Mr Naidu has been assuring in every poll meeting that the remaining amount will be given after the elections when the agriculture season begins.
“We are sure that the timing of the last instalment of farm loan waiver, Pasupu Kumuma and the Annadata Sukhibhava first instalment will work in our favour. Apart from the regular schemes, these cheques will play a big role since women will have cash in their hands and they will not forget our party chief while cas-ting their vote. The entire family will vote for one particular party, if the woman of the family dec-ides,” said a senior TD leader.
Also, Rs 8,000 crore towards the agriculture debt redemption scheme will be released in the co-ming days in the first we-ek of this month. Mr Nai-du had promised waiving farm loans amounting to Rs 24,000 crore, of which Rs 15,200 crore has already been waived in various phases. While an expert committee had recommended that farm loans of up to Rs 1 lakh be waived, Mr Naidu insisted that the amount be scaled up to Rs 1.50 lakh.
While the state government had initially announced Rs 10,000 under Ann-adata Sukhibava to each farmer, the amount was later enhanced to Rs 15,000.
The state government has enhanced the earlier announced aid of Rs 4,000 per beneficiary to Rs 9,000, in addition to the Central assistance of Rs 6,000 under PM-KISAN. While farmers owning less than five acres of land will get Rs 15,000 in total, those who own above five acres will get Rs 10,000 under the sch-eme, as PM-KISAN is app-licable only to those who own less than five acres.
The scheme will benefit about 54 lakh farmers with less than five acres of land and 16-17 lakh farmers who own more than five acres.
