Upper caste farmers unhappy in Kadapa

Kadapa: Upper caste farmers are unhappy after the state government decided to confine financial support only for SC, ST, BC and Minority farmers under Rythu Bharosa Scheme which will be implemented from October 15.

It may be recalled that during the 2019 electioneering, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced that government will pay Rs 12,500 to every farmer as crop investment after his party coming to power. Farmers expressed happiness after Chief Minister made the announcement in this regard.

But the state government had issued guidelines last month specifying that higher caste farmers, former sarpanches, ZPTCs and MPTCs will not come under Rythu Bharosa Scheme and they would be paid only Rs 6,000 under Prime Minister Kisan Yojana. This decision upsets the upper caste farmers in the district.

"It is nothing but deceiving the farming community. Jagan Mohan Reddy should answer whether his party had come to power only with the votes of SC, ST, BC and Minorities or with the support of all farmers in the state," questioned PCC vice- president N Tulasi Reddy.

"Excluding higher caste farmers, former sarpanches and ZPTCs and MPTCs from Rythu Bharosa Scheme is not correct. There are large number of small and marginal framers among these communities. The rules mentioned in the Rythu Bharosa Scheme appears to be designed with political motivation, but not for the welfare of the farming community.

Such restrictions will send dangerous signals into the farming community. I appeal to Chief Minister that he should think twice before implementing the scheme," said AP Rythu Sangam district secretary B Dastagiri Reddy when contacted by Hans India.

Meanwhile the district administration has finalised 3,05, 125 farmers under Rythu Bharosa Scheme in the district. As per the official information as many as 27,620 farmers who were not covered under People's Empowerment Survey and 17, 977 who were having wrong Aadhaar numbers were declared ineligible for the scheme.

Joint Collector Gouthami said eligibility of the farmers was finalised for Rythu Bharosa Scheme after conducting survey in transparent manner. If the farmers find discrepancies in the survey, they should be enrolled their names either approaching VROs with proper documentary evidence or through on line system, she said.