Giving up Rythu Bandhu benefit is optional

As the government gears up to launch the much-awaited Rythu Bandhu investment support scheme for farmers, a majority of them being marginal and small farmers, data collected by the Revenue and Agriculture departments had shown that few thousands of farmers own lands in excess of 25 acres.

Lands of a majority of these 6,488 well-to-do farmers are in the districts surrounding the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority jurisdiction. Sangareddy district for instance has 644 farmers owning lands in excess of 25 acres followed by Ranga Reddy 637. Nalgonda has 575 farmers categorised under the large farmers segment with lands above 25 acres and Mahabubnagar, another district adjoining the HMDA limits, has 562 large holdings, according to the official statistics.

Three districts surrounding the GHMC limits Vikarabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri have 397, 376 and 369 farmers with large holdings respectively. With the government assuring investment support of ₹4,000-an-acre per season, the amount that would be taken by these farmers with sound financial background works out to a minimum of ₹64.88 crore each season amounting to ₹129.76 crore a year. The figure apparently would be much higher if the actual extent of land categorised under the large holdings is taken into consideration.

The government has, no doubt, appealed to these farmers to give it up and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was the first to exercise the ‘give up’ option. He was followed by several of his Cabinet colleagues and some MPs, but the government had reportedly asked the officials concerned not to insist on anyone to give up the benefit.

Forms inviting the owners of these large holdings to exercise the ‘give up’ option will be kept at all the Pattadar passbook and cheque distribution centres and it will be for the owners of these large holdings to take a call on the issue.