Hyderabad: The state government has asked officials not to deny Rs 4,000 per acre “Rythu Bandhu” cheques to farmers under the pretext of non-seeding of Aadhaar with pattadar passbooks.
Chief secretary S.K. Joshi on Thursday held a video conference with district collectors from the Secretariat to review arrangements for distribution of cheques and electronic pattadar passbooks to over 57 lakh farmers from May 10 to 17 across the state. Mr Joshi directed officials to issue cheques by taking details of such farmers and ensure Aadhaar seeding is done before issuance of new electronic pattadar passbooks to farmers.
Out of 57.33 lakh new pattadar passbooks printed so far, Aadhaar seeding has been done for 52.73 lakh and there is still a backlog of 3.30 lakh. The government has allocated Rs 2 crore to each district to make arrangements for distribution of cheques and pattadar passbooks. Mr Joshi instructed officials to take up distribution programmes in all districts in two shifts every day from 7 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm keeping in view the scorching heat in May. The Chief Secretary asked collectors to strictly comply with the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s directions on distribution of cheques to farmers holding forest and assigned lands.
He said those in possession of lands specified under the Recognition of Forest Rights Act (RoFR Act) and assigned lands should be handed over cheques without fail. Mr Joshi stated that 91,992 beneficiaries holding RoFR lands in 182 mandals of 23 districts have been identified and cheques worth Rs 119 crore have been readied.
He informed that 58.06 lakh cheques have already been printed, of which 54.30 lakh cheques have been transported to mandals and the remaining 3.75 lakh cheques would be transported in the next two days. From there, the cheques will be transported village-wise for distribution.
The CS asked collectors to issue directions to banks to allow farmers to encash cheques in banks just by submitting their photo identity. He also instructed officials to ensure there is no financial crunch as the RBI has already sent over Rs 4,000 crore to banks exclusively for the Rythu Bandu scheme and the remaining Rs 2,000 crore will be sent in two days.
