CPI, AIMIM, Congress members want exclusion of land not under farming for Rythu Bharosa

Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

HYDERABAD

Congress, Communist Party of India and All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen members have suggested the State government not to give investment support given to farmers under the Rythu Bharosa scheme to lands not under cultivation as over ₹21,000 crore money went into the hands of holders land that is fallow, barren, hillocks and converted into non-agricultural purposes.

Participating in the short discussion on Rythu Bharosa in the Assembly on Saturday, the lone member of CPI Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao asked the government to prepare the data of lands under cultivation first. He pointed out that realtors, stone crusher owners and those holding lands converted for non-agricultural purposes, mostly around urban areas, had secured pattadar passbooks illegally and claimed the Rythu Bandhu amount given by the previous government.

Further, he suggested the government give investment support for up to 15 acres a farmer and if possible to a higher extent of land holders who were into farming as agriculture was not a remunerative activity most of the times. He wanted the government to extend it to those cultivating podu, endowments and wakf lands too as also the tenant farmers.

Congress member T. Rammohan Reddy and B. Krishnamohan Reddy of BRS who defected to the Congress suggested Rythu Bharosa benefit to all farmers irrespective of the extent of cultivation as farming was not a lucrative economic activity. Mr. Krishnamohan Reddy asked the government to increase the insurance coverage under Rythu Bima to ₹10 lakh from the existing ₹5 lakh.

Floor leader of AIMIM Akbaruddin Owaisi, who spoke mostly on the State debt, said that while the recent document of the RBI had stated that most of the borrowings of Telangana were of the term of 10 years, some of the borrowings of the present government were of the term of 20 years or more. He also sought to know the status of the State government plan of debt swapping — borrowing of short term loans with lower interest to repay long term loans with higher interest to reduce the interest burden.

He suggested the government include the details of borrowings of State PSUs/Corporations to give a real picture to the people as tabling such details was not a practice during the previous government.

Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao said bonus to fine varieties of paddy had increased the extent of such varieties from 21% to 61%. He stated that the government was promoting cultivation of fine varieties with a view to give fine quality rice to the poor under the public distribution system. He said he was hoping for more suggestions on the implementation of Rythu Bharosa but the members spoke on various issues pertaining to agriculture and other sectors.