All set for Rythu Bandhu roll-out today

​Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's decision to give up the benefits entitled under Rythu Bandhu scheme inspired many from all political quarters ahead of the launch of the scheme on Thursday.  

The Chief Minister is set to roll out the scheme at Huzurabad in Karimnagar district on Thursday. Under the scheme, Rs 4,000 incentive per acre will be distributed to each farmer in every agricultural season in the state. 

KCR had recently announced that he would donate all the money Rs 2.40 lakh for 60 acres he got through the cheque under the scheme to Telangana Rythu Samanvaya Samithi (Farmers Coordination Committee).   

Inspired by KCR's decision, ministers, MPs, MLAs, ruling party and Opposition leaders and officials are making  beeline to donate the money to the farmers' coordination committees in their villages. Telangana Congress senior leader Damodara Raja Narasimha was also among the leaders who declared to give up the benefit.  

State Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, who is in-charge of the new farmers' scheme, declared returning the cheque for Rs 1.20 lakh to the local farmers committee. He owned 30 acres of land in his native village in the Banswada assembly constituency.    Khammam MP P Srinivas Reddy had already announced to donate  Rs 5.76 lakh from 144 acres of land for the welfare of  local farming community.  

Armur MLA A Jeevan Reddy (Rs 5.60 lakh -140 acres), Khammam MLA P Ajay (Rs 3.48 lakh – 87 acres), Vardhannapet MLA A Rmaesh (Rs 2 lakh –  50 acres) and Rajya Sabha MP Captain Laxmikantha Rao submitted undertakings to the Agriculture department requesting to utilise the sanctioned Rs 1.28 lakh for the welfare of local farmers.    

Deputy Director of Horticulture department B Srinivas at farmers coordination committee meeting announced giving up the benefit Rs 28,000 for the wellbeing of poor farmers in his native place in Warangal district.     

State Agriculture department officials said that in view of the overwhelming response from political parties and officials,  special counters will be opened at the cheque distribution centres  in the villages to receive the money as donations from the beneficiaries of the scheme.  

A total of 58.06 lakh beneficiaries will get cheques in the week-long distribution programme. Among the total beneficiaries, marginal farmers (up to 2.50 acre) are 61.96 per cent,  small farmers  (2.50 to 5 acres) are 23.90 per cent,  semi medium farmers (5 to 10 acres) are 10.86 per cent, medium farmers (10 to 25 acres)  are 3 per cent and large farmers who owned  more than 25 acres are 0.28 per cent of the total beneficiaries in the Rythu Bandhu scheme.  

Officials said the government will distribute Rs 5,608 crore to the beneficiaries under the scheme in the first phase before the beginning of the Kharif season in June this year.