‘Rythu Bandhu has empowered farmers’

Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali has said the Rythu Bandhu scheme had empowered the farming community economically for taking up farm activities with more enthusiasm.

The Deputy CM along with Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Farmers Coordination Committee State Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy and others participated in the distribution of Rythu Bandhu cheques and Pattadaar passbooks to the farmers in Manthani mandal on Wednesday. The dignitaries performed milk abhishekham to the portrait of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for launching the ‘novel’ programme.

The Deputy CM said the Chief Minister had launched several welfare schemes for the upliftment of the farming community by waiving farm loans to the tune of ₹17,000 crore, providing 24x7 power supply and Rythu Bandhu (investment support scheme) of ₹12,000 crore. He said the farmers were neglected in the united State. Mr. Mahmood Ali, who is also the Revenue Minister, said they had completed land purification work as a mission in the State and simplified the pattadaar passbooks distribution system.

Mr. Srinivas said the State government was committed to provide irrigation sources to one crore acres within two years. He said the farmers after collecting the Rythu Bandhu cheques can encash them within three months and urged them to utilise only for agricultural purposes. Mr. Sukhender Reddy said they were taking all measures for ensuring minimum support price to the farmers’ produce.

Peddapalli MP Balka Suman said the government welfare schemes for the farming community had stopped the migration of labour to Mumbai and the Gulf nations. He said the completion of pending irrigation projects including the ambitious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project would transform the State agricultural scenario with the availability of abundant water sources.

Government Chief Whip Koppula Eshwar, Government Advisor G. Vivekanand, Manthani MLA Putta Madhukar, District Collector Sri Devasena, Joint Collector Vanaja Devi and others were also present.