Telangana Cabinet May Approve Early Rythu Bharosa for Kharif
Telangana Cabinet likely to greenlight early Rythu Bharosa disbursal amid kharif surge; tenant farmers may get second Atmiya Bharosa instalment.
Hyderabad: With early monsoon showers kickstarting kharif agricultural operations ahead of schedule, the state Cabinet is expected to approve the disbursement of Rythu Bharosa financial assistance to farmers at its meeting in the Secretariat on Thursday.
Traditionally, the kharif season begins in the third week of June following the onset of the monsoon in the first week of June. However, this year, unseasonal rains in mid-May have already led to a surge in farming activity across the state. As a result, there has been an unprecedented demand for seeds and fertilisers, with farmers crowding agricultural supply shops in anticipation of a productive season.
In this backdrop, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is reportedly keen on releasing the Rythu Bharosa funds by mid-June. The government believes that timely financial support will help farmers purchase essential inputs and reduce their dependence on private moneylenders, who often charge exorbitant interest rates.
The Congress government had replaced the Rythu Bandhu scheme, introduced by the previous BRS regime, with the Rythu Bharosa in January this year. Under the old scheme, farmers received Rs 5,000 per acre for kharif and rabi seasons amounting to Rs 10,000 per acre per year. The new government enhanced the amount to Rs 6,000 per acre per season amounting to Rs 12,000 per acre per year under Rythu Bharosa, starting with the rabi 2024-25 disbursement between January 26 and March 15 this year.
However, during the previous rabi season 2024-25, the Rythu Bharosa scheme covered only farmers owning up to three acres of land. There remains uncertainty over whether those with landholdings exceeding three acres will receive any arrears for the previous rabi season.
With kharif operations for 2025-26 already underway, it is expected that the upcoming disbursement will focus solely on the current kharif season, leaving out any pending dues from rabi.
In addition to Rythu Bharosa, the Cabinet is also likely to deliberate on extending Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa to tenant farmers for the kharif season. The scheme, launched in February this year, provides Rs 12,000 per year to tenant farmers in two instalments — Rs 6,000 each for kharif and rabi. The previous BRS administration had excluded tenant farmers from its Rythu Bandhu scheme, limiting support only to landowners.
If approved, the upcoming Cabinet decision will mark the second instalment under Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa, with Rs 6,000 expected to be disbursed for the ongoing kharif season.