Hyderabad: The state government does not have the money to implement its key election promises such as the investment subsidy to farmers under Rythu Bandhu scheme, waiver of Rs 1 lakh loan to farmers, enhanced pensions, subsidy for building one’s own home, and allowance to educated unemployed youth.
Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the state government has yet to pay about Rs 2,500 crore to 10 lakh farmers for the ongoing kharif season. The money should have been paid before the season started in June.
In the vote-on-account Budget in February, the state government had allotted Rs 13,000 crore for the Rythu Bandhu scheme. To pay the subsidy, the government has issued a budget release order (BRO) of Rs 6,900 crore. Some 53 lakh farmers are covered by the scheme, about 10 lakh are still to get the subsidy. The agriculture department says the finance department has to release about Rs 2,500 crore.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) had announced waiver of farm loans of up to Rs 1 lakh and in the vote-on-account, the government allotted Rs 6,000 crore for this scheme. In its previous term, the TRS had spent Rs 17,500 crore on it. This time the government requires around Rs 20,000 crore. Eight months after being elected for a second term, the government has not begun to implement the loan waiver.
Another important poll promise of the TRS was enhancement of old age pensions under the Aasara scheme, and reducing the age limit of eligibility to 57 from 65 years. There are about 40 lakh beneficiaries under the Aasara scheme and about 15 lakh new beneficiaries have been identified with the reduction in the age limit.
