Convert agriculture infrastructure fund into grant: Telangana to Centre

Hyderabad: The Telangana State government asked the Centre to convert its proposal of providing Rs 1 lakh crore loans at a lower interest rate for building basic agriculture infrastructure in the next four years into a grant.

Attending a virtual meeting of the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar with the State agriculture ministers on Friday, Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy asked the Union Minister to extend individual loans for the interested farmers from the agriculture basic infrastructure fund, along with the Central cooperatives, agriculture and self-help groups.

The meeting was held to discuss the issue related to the agriculture basic infrastructure fund, progress in the kisan credit cards, formation of farmer producer organisations and other issues.

Niranjan Reddy asked the Union Minister to extend handholding to Telangana to contribute its might in the nation's wealth. Explaining how the efforts of the State government has revolutionised the agriculture sector in the State, Niranjan Reddy asked to include Wanaparthi, Nagar Kurnool, when the Union Minister asked him to give priority to the formation of FPOs in Asifabad, Bhupalapalli and Khammam districts in the State.

State Agriculture Minister said that the State government is encouraging one or two FPOs in all the mandals in Telangana. Apart from that 501 FPOs have already been running successfully, he said.

He said the State has a total of 60.95 people having land pattas and out of this, 89 per cent would be provided loans through the banks. So far, 41.61 lakh farmers are given kisan credit cards. Similarly, a total of Rs 7,253 crore have been deposited into the farmers' accounts during the rainy agriculture season. It is more than the number of 36.79 lakh farmers in the State receiving financial assistance from the PM Kisan Samman Yojana, he added. He reminded the Union Minister that about 56 per cent of the total paddy lifted by the Centre during the current year from across the nation was contributed from the Telangana.

Later, interacting at a separate meeting with the senior officials of the Centre, the minister said that the State government is looking into the ordinance promulgated by the Centre on contract farming and marketing.

The State government will take further steps after taking legal advice and directions from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said.