Hyderabad: About 57 lakh farmers will get their Rythu Bandhu funds on November 28, just two days before the month-end Assembly elections on Thursday. Tuesday the only day that is open to hand over the pre-poll bonanza after the Election Commission gave permission to the state government to pay out the funds.
Incidentally, in 2018, the government had transferred the funds in the first week of December, days ahead of the December 7 polls. At other times, the amount for the rabi season is given in January.
Official sources said that the state government has taken a decision to disburse Rythu Bandhu in the accounts of farmers holding lands up to 5 acres each. While there are over 70 lakh farmers who are registered on the Dharani portal and are eligible for Rythu Bandhu, 57 lakh farmers own less than five acres each.
Due to financial constraints in mobilising Rs 7,500 crore at one go, the government wants to cover the maximum number of landowning farmers with Rs 4,400 crore available at its disposal.
The EC gave the government four days for disbursal. However, the banks are into a long weekend holiday for the fourth Saturday, Sunday and Guru Nanak Jayanti on Monday, and the Election Commission did not allow disbursal on November 29 and 30 due to the 48-hour silence period. That left the government with November 28, till 5 pm.
Usually, the government begins transfer of Rythu Bandhu into the accounts of farmers owning up to one acre on Day-1. Subsequently, it increases the land extent by an acre every day until all the 70 lakh farmers are covered. Given the urgency this time, the government has worked out a way to reach all farmers owning up to 5 acres at one go.
The government credits Rythu Bandhu for the rabi season in January, but, keeping in view the Assembly elections, the government had sought to advance it.
