Hyderabad: The state government’s subsidy scheme for tractors has created a rift in the ruling TRS.
Local party leaders in districts are openly revolting against ministers and own party MLAs for selecting their followers for the scheme as per their choice and not consulting them in selecting beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, the government gives 50 per cent subsidy to farmers to purchase tractors. With this, a tractor costing Rs 10 lakh would be available for '5 lakh. Even for remaining Rs 5 lakh, the government aranges loan from a nationalised bank. For SC/ST farmers, 100 per cent subsidy will be extended.
With this, there is huge demand from farmers to claim the benefit. They run around ministers, MPs, MLAs of ruling party to ensure their names are shortlisted for the scheme.
Local leaders complained to party high command against ministers and MLAs for giving subsidy tractors to rich farmers owning 30 to 40 acres while denying the benefit to small farmers owning less than 2.5 acres.
As per norms, small farmers owning up to 2.5 acres should be given priority. The three-member committee comprising of agriculture and revenue officials should scrutinise the applications and select beneficiaries. But this is hardly followed.
However, the ministers, MLAs, MPs from the ruling party are calling the shots in selection process.
They are bringing pressure on agriculture minister and officials in selecting the beneficiaries of their choice. While the selection should be done at district level, it is being done in Hyderabad after lobbying with agriculture minister and officials.
Such has been the pressure exerted on the minister and officials that agriculture minister Poc-haram Srinivas Reddy, in a meeting in his home constituency Banswada on Saturday commented that he is afraid to visit Hyderabad when exercise to select beneficiaries begins in districts. This year, the government has decided to distribute 3,900 tractors.
Finance minister Etela Rajender was in for huge embarrassment in the Karimnagar ZP general body meeting on Saturday as local TRS leaders joined with Opposition leaders and levelled corruption charges against TRS MLAs in selection of beneficiaries.
Similar incidents were witnessed in Nizamabad, Adilabad, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts causing embarrassment to ruling party.
