Hyderabad: It is becoming difficult for the state government to come up with the money to distribute to farmers under its Rythu Bandhu scheme for the Kharif season which starts in June.
With the enhancement of the pension amount from April 1, 2019, the total amount to be paid in pensions is Rs 1,000 crore per month. This means an additional burden on the state exchequer of about Rs 500 crore from this month.
The increase in subsidy in the Rythu Bandhu scheme means an additional burden of about Rs 1,000 crore in each season.
Now that the reality has kicked in, there is speculation in TRS circles that the state government may decide to include conditions that would enable only poor farmers to avail of the subsidy.
At present, there is no cap on the number of acres a farmer owns to avail of the benefit under Rythu Bandhu. The state government may fix some cap on the number of acres a farmer owns to get the benefit.
Principal secretary in the state agriculture department, C Pardhasaradhi, told this newspaper that distribution of the subsidy to farmers for the ensuing Kharif season will begin in the last week of May and be completed by the first week of June subject to availability of funds.
He said that there was no proposal with the government to fix a cap for eligibility to get the benefit under Rythu Bandhu.
