Rythu Bandhu KCR gives more

​Hyderabad: Claiming that the Telangana state has shown a new direction to the country in the enforcement of people as well as farmer-centric welfare schemes, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced a few more sops for the welfare of the farming community.

Also, he made it clear that tenants are not entitled to avail monetary benefits under the Rythu Bandhu (crop investments support) scheme. Launching the big-ticket populist scheme ‘Rythu Bandhu’ at Dharmarajupalli village in Huzurabad mandal of the erstwhile Karimnagar district on Thursday, the Chief Minister said a new insurance scheme with Rs 5 lakh coverage will be brought into force from June 2 on the Telangana Formation Day for the benefit of farmers.

Under the scheme, the farmers will get the insurance benefit if they die accidentally. The government has already finalised the modalities after talking to the insurance companies for the scheme which will give a major relief to the poor farming community.

Stating that the government is already providing Rs 6 lakh compensation to the bereaved families of the farmers who commit suicide, the CM also declared the repeal of the rule that title deeds should be mortgaged for obtaining bank loans by farmers. "Farmers need not to deposit their passbooks with banks for loans from June 2. The banks will disburse loans verifying the title deeds on Dharani website.

The existing cumbersome process for the land registrations will also be put to an end on the T Formation Day. Under the new registration system, land registrations will be done online through the official Dharani website. To ensure speedy process of the registrations, KCR said the government has invested all Mandal Revenue Officers (MROs) with powers to register lands.

In the wake of increasing demand from tenant farmers to extend Rythu Bandhu scheme benefits to them, KCR said the scheme will not apply to the tenants as they have no legal right on the land they cultivate. The government has no role in the agreements entered between farmers and tenants. KCR was categorical that the government would recognise only farmers who own the land and not those who take the land on lease.

The Chief Minister said the measures taken up by his government to save the distressed farmers are yielding results. Round the clock power supply to farming sector, making available seeds and fertilizers, loan waiver of Rs 4,000 incentive per acre to each farmer at the beginning of kharif and rabi gave a big relief to the distressed farmers. Agricultural officials were appointed for every 5000 farmers to look after their issues.

The schemes launched by his government, including KCR KITS, Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, etc drew national attention. The state received accolades from all quarters, including the CWC (Central Water Commission) for the construction of the mammoth Kaleshwaram project aiming to wipe out irrigation problems by providing water to one crore acres by 2019, he said.

Telangana has also resolved long-pending water disputes with the Maharashtra government on the utilization of the allocated 950 TMC of river Godavari water. His government’s main objective is to promote farmers in the state, KCR said and pointed out that 58 lakh farmers are availing the benefit of the crop investment scheme this year.

In a scathing attack on the Congress, KCR said the Opposition party had conspired to obstruct the government from taking up the irrigation projects. Telangana Congress leaders mortgaged the state interests before Andhra leaders for political gains in the erstwhile AP. Now, the Telangana Congress leaders were playing a spoilsport role by politicising every programme, he added. "They are acting like jackals," he said.