Financial strains push Bharosa rollout to Dec

Hyderabad: Implementation of the Rythu Bharosa scheme may be delayed until Dec due to financial limitations and uncertainties surrounding the establishment of its guidelines. The Telangana govt has yet to finalize the loan waiver for numerous farmers who have borrowed amounts exceeding 2 lakh. In Telangana, there are a total of 65 lakh farmers, with 42 lakh having secured loans from banks.
Telangana agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao reaffirmed the govt's dedication to fulfilling its loan waiver commitments despite facing financial challenges. He noted that loans up to 2 lakh have been waived for farmers as promised, with a total of 18,000 crore already deposited into farmers' accounts across three phases.
To date, the loan waiver scheme has benefited 22 lakh families, while the details of an additional 4 lakh farmers are currently under review. The govt estimates that a total of 31,000 crore is required to complete the process.
Despite the funding shortages affecting the loan waiver scheme, the state govt intends to prioritise the implementation of Rythu Bharosa. There had been expectations that the final draft of the guidelines would be ready by the Vijaya Dasami festival; however, it may take longer to finalize these guidelines.
Sources indicate that the govt has not yet determined how to establish intended caps within the Rythu Bharosa scheme. It has been identified that around 22 lakh acres of land are not currently under cultivation, and the govt is refraining from extending benefits to these areas.
The key issue remains how to determine the acreage under cultivation that will qualify for benefits, especially since the BRS government previously provided benefits without any acreage limitations.