CM reviews arrangements for distribution of passbooks, cheques to farmers

Hyderabad : Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed the officials concerned to distribute Passbooks and cheques as part of the financial assistance under the investment support Scheme for agriculture to all the farmers of the assigned lands, ROFR Pattadars, non-tribals cultivating land in the agency areas and all the pattadars.

He desired that under the district collectors’ leadership the entire administration should implement the programme from May 10 for one week, commanding their entire strength, expertise and experience. The CM suggested that the ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other local body representatives to be made stakeholders in the programme.

The Chief Minister held meeting at Pragati Bhavan here on Saturday with the district collectors, joint collectors, district agriculture officers, ministers, heads of the departments, Chief Secretary Sri SK Joshi, DGP Sri Mahender Reddy and others. The CM made several suggestions on the distribution of the passbooks and cheques.

“We have taken up a responsibility which no government in the country or to that matter in the world has ever took. Nobody till date ever made any attempt to survey the lands, issue new passbooks and provide financial assistance as investment support. Hence we have no previous experience. We have formulated on our own these schemes and are implementing. Hence we have to implement the programme with lot of caution and care. We have to prepare the action plan with vision,” the CM said.

“We have to distribute 58 lakh passbooks and cheques. Printing of passbooks and Cheque books is in the process of completion and would be over by this month end. Passbooks and cheques will be supplied district, mandal and village wise. Keep them at the district head quarters and send them to the villages concerned. We have made arrangments for the farmers to get cash for their cheques from the banks the moment they present them in the banks. We have set aside Rs 12,000 Crore in the Budget for the investment support scheme. We have arranged Rs 6,000 crore for the first phase of financial assistance to be distributed for the monsoon crops. This money is kept in the banks. The banks should pay cash to the farmers once farmer presents the Cheque in the bank, or else action would be taken against the erring banks. Farmers should have cash on hands before the onset of the monsoon. This is the reason why we are launching the programme in May,” the CM explained.

The Chief Minister said that the District collectors should verify the passbook and cheques belonging to their districts and make correction in the entry when there is an error. “Find out whether all the passbooks and cheques have reached. Form 2762 officials’ teams so that one team distributes 300 passbooks per day. Collectors should determine the strength of the teams based on the number of farmers. Every team should have three members.

KCR said that training should be given to the district wise teams. “Invite ministers, MPS, MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives to the programme. Inform people before hand in which village and what day the programme is going to be held. Give advertisements in papers, electronic media and put up flexies as well as Tom-Tom in Villages. In case some one is not been able to take the passbook and cheque, make arrangments for issuing them at the Tahsildars office later. Give cheques to the poor who are cultivating on the lands provided by the government, ROFR patta farmers, non-tribals cultivating in the agency areas. Besides Pattadar farmers, prepare a list of assignees, ROFR pattadars, non-tribals and give them the cheques.

In case the financial assistance given to a farmer is more than Rs 50,000, then issue two cheques for the value of less than Rs 50,000 each. Take receipts from those receiving the passbooks and cheques. Form grievance cells to listen to the people who may have some problems. Organise the programme in schools in the villages. Arrange police Bandobast. Collectors should have meeting with the bankers and ensure that cash is given once the cheques are presented. Inform the bankers in no uncertain terms that action would take against them if they fail to pay cash for the cheques. Some farmers are saying they don’t need the financial assistance, such persons amount can be deposited to the account of farmers Coordination Committees,” the CM clarified.

“To make agriculture profitable in Telangana State and for the farmers’ welfare, the state government has taken many innovative measures which no other state government ever has taken. Farmers are in a state of helplessness and distress all over the world. Farmers are throwing their produce on roads at several places in the world, as they are not getting the Minimum Support Price. They are suffering losses as they are failed to get their investment back. Keeping this in mind, in Telangana State we have decided to give financial assistance as investment support for agriculture. There is an overall appreciation for this scheme and economists like Ashok Gulati opined that this programme could be role model for others. The government without being bothered by the heavy expenditure has decided to give Rs 8,000 assistance under the scheme per acre to the farmer.”CM said.

The Chief Minister said that Farmers Coordination Committees have been formed to organize the farmers, get them the MSP and to create awareness on cultivation and get them proper training. We have appointed 2638 Agriculture Extension Officers, one officer per 5000 acres. We are constructing a dais per every farmers cluster. All these should be utilized. Coordination committee should be used to get MSP for the produce, impart training for farmers and to create crop colonies,” the CM said.