BRS Govt Gave Rs 25,672 Cr Rythu Bandhu Benefits to Non-Farm Lands: Agri Dept Survey
13 July 2024 10:17 PM IST
Survey report to be tabled and debated in the ensuing Assembly session
Telangana has 157.43 lakh acres of agriculture land, owned by 74.58 lakh farmers. (DC File Image)
HYDERABAD: The BRS government paid Rythu Bandhu funds of Rs 25,672 crore to non-agriculture land and non-farmers in the six years since the scheme was launched, according to a survey conducted by the agriculture department.
They paid Rs 80,453 crore Rythu Bandhu for kharif and rabi seasons in 12 installments, of which Rs 25,672 crore was given to lands, which were converted into real estate ventures, industrial and commercial purposes, roads, highways and irrigation projects or were barren lands and even around hillocks.
The Congress government has decided to table the survey report in the upcoming session of Legislative Assembly and debate the loopholes in Rythu Bandhu scheme and frame effective guidelines for the Rythu Bharosa scheme in order to check misuse of funds. It will also replace Rythu Bandhu from this year.
The BRS government launched Rythu Bandhu in May 2018 to extend Rs 4,000 per acre for kharif and Rs 4,000 per acre for rabi every year, totalling Rs 8,000 per acre per year. From June 2019, the sum was increased to Rs 5,000 per acre totalling Rs 10,000 per acre per year for two crop seasons.
The Congress promised to increase this to Rs 15,000 per acre per year under Rythu Bharosa, during the Assembly election campaign. The Congress, which came to power in December 2023, has initiated the process to frame effective guidelines to implement rythu bharosa to curb wastage of public money.
The survey found that if the state government excluded non-agriculture land from Rythu Bharosa, it would save thousands of crores of public money every year. It found that cultivation wais being done in 152.51 lakh acres in Telangana every year and if the state government restricted Rythu Bharosa benefit only up to five acres, it would result in savings of Rs 3,824.2 crore and Rs 1,385 crore if the ceiling was placed at 10 acres.
Telangana has 157.43 lakh acres of agriculture land, owned by 74.58 lakh farmers, who possess pattadar passbooks. Of them, 90 per cent own less than five acres each.
The survey said 56,10,667 farmers (90.3 per cent of land-owning farmers) owned 101.52 lakh acres (66.5 per cent of available land). Another 4,82,766 farmers (7.8 per cent) own 32.51 lakh acres (21.3 per cent).
According to the survey, 1,16,722 farmers (1.8 per cent) own 18.48 lakh acres (12.1 per cent).
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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