Fresh survey on the anvil to give input subsidy for formers

Agriculture Extension Officers have been entrusted with the responsibility of collecting all data
Hyderabad: To ensure that the input scheme of Rs 4,000 each per acre for Kharif and Rabi crop to the farmers becomes successful, the Telangana government has taken up a fresh survey of farmers and their living standards to identify the real beneficiaries in the State.

This being considered as a highly economic intensive scheme, the government wants to gather detailed information of each farmer’s family including the land they possess, debts in their name, farm techniques used and the number of people engaged in the farming activity in each family for the last one decade.

Agriculture Extension officers (AEOs) have been entrusted with the responsibility of collecting all the data by conducting a door-to-door survey. It is mandatory that every farmer will have to produce Aadhaar card, title deeds and disclose all necessary information sought by the officials. Apart from this, farmers would have to furnish the details of free power scheme they have been availing since the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) came to power in the State.

As per the official records available now, 62 percent of the farmers own below 2.5 acres of land, 25 percent farmers have less than 5 acres, 11 percent own 10 acres, 3 percent have 25 acres and 2.8 percent farmers possess above 25 acres of land. The official statistics show that 97 percent farmers own less than 10 acres of land in Telangana.

Top officials of the State Agriculture Department told The Hans India that the study would be intensified during the ensuing Kharif season. The officials would visit the agriculture fields to ascertain the quantum of fertilisers and pesticides used for different crops per each acre.

It is estimated that nearly 52 lakh farmers are engaged in agricultural activity. Over 34 lakh farmers had availed the loan waiver scheme introduced by the government.Based on the data, the government would finalise the total number of beneficiaries. The government had estimated that nearly Rs 6,000 crore would require for each agricultural season to provide Rs 4,000 incentive per acre.

To ensure that every deserved farmer gets the benefit of the scheme, the government will plug all loopholes in the system by using the survey report. The proposed Farmer Federations from village to State level would play a key role in the identification of the beneficiaries and disburse the amount to their accounts directly.

BY V Ramu Sarma