What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
HYDERABAD: With five days left for the crucial polls, in what could turn out to be a major relief for the BRS (Bharath Rashtra Samithi) government in Telangana, the Election Commission of India (ECI) gave clearance to the state government to disburse amount for the farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme.
As per the ECI direction, Farmers in the state will get Rs 5,000 per acre for rabi (yasangi), which means that 70 lakh farmers would get Rs 7,500 crore overall.
WATCH: Congress responds to #RythuBandhu disbursement halt: TPCC chief Revanth Reddy blames ‘Uncle-Nephew’ (KCR and Harish Rao).
“They have made the farmers lose money with their arrogance and to gain political mileage,” says chief.#RythuBandhu #TelanganaElection pic.twitter.com/eBaydwQC1v
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) November 27, 2023
The ECI officials in a statement stated that the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu assistance for yasangi would begin on Friday in compliance with the conditions laid down in the ECI’s direction. The commission also added that the direct benefit transfer under the scheme would not be affected even on the day of elections.
The Congress party in the state had opposed this move and had informed the ECI that the funds should be allowed to be disbursed only until the election declaration day.
“We welcome the decision by the ECI and this will help the government to assist the farmers in the state”, said Kumar Reddy, a BRS activist based in Khammam, Telangana.
Rythu Bandhu Scheme is meant to provide financial assistance to farmers for irrigation purposes, to promote organic farming practices and to offer subsidies on agriculture equipment and machinery.
“The latest direction by the ECI is a shot in hand for the BRS with five days left for the elections. This will indeed have its repercussions in the northern districts of the state where farmers will benefit”, said Krishna Kumar, a writer and political analysts based in Chennai.
The disbursement of Rythu Bandhu aid days before the December 7 polls in 2018 fetched handsome electoral returns to the BRS, he added.
The Rythu Bandhu Scheme is a farmer support initiative in Telangana, where the government disburses cheque payments to farmers based on their landholdings instead of Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT). This approach helps prevent banks from using the funds to offset farmers’ previous dues. The Agriculture Department of the State Government oversees the scheme, with sub-district-level agriculture officers as nodal officers. Banking institutions, including private, public sector, and cooperative banks, actively participate in disbursing cash benefits at the village and sub-district levels.
