Several farmers missed out the crop investment support Rythu Bandhu as their names were excluded from list of beneficiaries. Worse it it is not a few individuals, but all farmers in a number of villages.
Farmer from four villages — Nagireddy Gudem, Picheryagadi, Satwar and Kondakal — are not only not enjoying the benefits of Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima, but also are unable to get crop loans from banks. Adding to their woes they cannot even sell their land, for any emergency or requirement.
For instance there are 200 farmers of Nagireddygudem in Gummadidala mandal who own the 338 acres of patta land spread across two survey numbers. Till the formation of Telangana State these farmer possessed pattadar passbooks and used to avail loans from banks. However, after the government of newly formed Telangana State started purification of land records, officials found, during enquiry, that there was wast difference between the land owned by the farmers as per documents and in their physical possession.
To correct the anomalies, the government shifted these lands to Part B thereby denying the land owners all benefits. They have become ineligible for Rythu Bima and also they did not get new passbooks. For the past four years they have been forced to approach moneylenders for financing their agricultural operations. Their very existence as farmers has become a question mark as they are not recognised as genuine farmers in the absence of pattadar pass books. These farmers are also unable to sell their lands.
Whenever the farmers approach officials they are promptly told that the issue would be taken to the notice of higher authorities.
In the case of Picheryagadi village in Kohir mandal, the farmers received Rythu Bandhu for three years, but suddenly it was discontinued as the lands were shown on the records as Wakf lands. The repeated appeals by the farmers to restore their names did not yield any result. The land in dispute is spread over 2,181 acres. The officials at mandal level have been stating that the issue was taken to the notice of district authorities and the decision has to be taken at State-level.
In Satwar village in Zaheerbad mandal, there are 800 acres of land that has been shown as Wakf property and all transactions restricted. The farmers of Satwar are helpless like the ones in the other two villages.
Some 50 farmers of Kondakal village in the outskirts of Velimela panchayat in Ramachandrapuram mandal were unable to get their pattadar passbooks for the past two years and they submitted a representation to the officials in this regard during the week.
“The mistake committed by officials is proving costly for farmers. Officials are unable to address the issue despite repeated appeals and the government is not responding,” secretary All India Kisan Sabha G. Jayaraj said.
