The Rythu Bandhu
scheme, a first of its kind initiative providing investment support to farmers
is launced by TRS government in the
state of Telangana. This welfare
programme provides 4000 rupees per acre per season to support farm investment
twice a year.{for rabi and kharif seasons}. New pattadhar passbooks with about
17 security features are given, which were printed after purifying the
landrecords last year.
This
ambitious agrarian outreach of the Telangana Government is expected to provide
the much needed breather to the marginal and small farmers who constitute the
major chunk of land owners in the state.
 |
| My passbook |
I being
a marginal farmer (yaa… I hold an half acre land which I bought an year ago with
my earnings) was called upon for
collecting my passbook and cheque at my village, Yerugandapally, Marriguda (M),
Nalgonda (D).
The
programme was launched by our MLA (Munugodu constituency) K. Prabhakar Reddy. The
implementation of the scheme was no less than a poll day in general elections.
 |
| Our village ZPHS where the distribution was conducted |
Many
people criticised this welfare scheme as a ploy to loot the vote bank. That
made me to write this article critically analyzing the scheme.
Many
farmers in our state are marginal and small scale. They need investment for
seeds and tilling the land. With no
collaterals in hand they borrow from the money lenders or other informal
sources of credit. They get trapped in debt crisis if the farm fails. Next
season, they again burrow money or to
pay back previous loan they will be forced to sell the crop to them only. Thus this
scheme, protects the farmers from the informal sources of credit.
Usually
the government supports the farmers by announcing MSP (Minimum Support Price).
Ironically, its only for 25 crops out of the hundreds of types of crops we farm
every year. The benefits of MSP are never reached to the marginal farmers as
they farm for their own consumption. ( they barely have any surplus to sell ,
that is left after their consumption).
Thus this investment support scheme helps to
improve the livelihood of small scale and marginal farmers which the MSP failed
to do so.
The
scheme is widely criticised for its applicability only to the landowners but not the tenants. This
is to motivate those landlords who don’t show any interest towards farming and
turned their lands barren, fearing the investment losses because of the frequent monsoon failures.
And
finally, those who don’t wish to take money under this scheme, can give up
their money voluntarily to Rythu Samanvaya Samiti corpus. (which will be used for agrarian purposes).
 |
| My cheque.... only 2000 because I have marginal landholdings |
 |
| Security features of the passbook |
Thus
this is one of the best planned programme in the recent times for the
welfarement of our agararian society. I do support it and hope programmes like
this, gets implemented in all other states too.
