Hyderabad: BRS criticises state government for disappointing farmer community

Hyderabad: Attacking the Congress government for not nurturing the farmers community very well during the BRS rule in the state, former ministers Niranjan Reddy and Errabelli Dayakar Rao said that the future of farmers in the state is uncertain. The government is yet to implement the Vanakalam portion of the Agriculture Investment Support Scheme. Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Niranjan Reddy said that the government is yet to finalise the modalities for implementation of Raithu Bharosa even as Kharif operations are in full swing and pre-monsoon rains are pouring in. The government has failed to provide assistance of Rs 10,000 per acre for Yasangi crops, not to mention the assistance of Rs 15000 per acre under the Raithu Bharosa scheme. Taking serious objection to the false propaganda being carried out by those in power by targeting the Raithu Bandhu programme, he said that every inch of land in the state is cultivable. He said the Rythu Bandhu assistance was given to all farmers on the basis of pattadar passbooks, which were proof of the land-holdings held by each farmer. He said the assistance was aimed at encouraging farmers to grow crops on every piece of land.

About 95 per cent of farmers in the State have five acres or less of land, while those with five to seven acres of land are less than seven per cent. The number of farmers with land ranging from 20 acres to 54 acres is only 6488. It is high time the government extended the necessary assistance to farmers in support of crop investment for the current Vanakalam season without any delay. The rise in the number of farmer suicides, shortage of seeds and fertilizers speak volumes about the worsening plight of farmers in the State today. The government is still in the process of discussing the promise of loan waiver in the Cabinet. Dayakar Rao wants the State government to review its approach towards State-sponsored programmes aimed at the welfare of farmers. All major irrigation sources in the State had dried up. Major projects like Devadula were left on their own without mandatory pre-monsoon maintenance works.