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Under Rythu scheme, BRS paid ₹22K-cr for non-farm lands: CM
Rythu Bharosa is a revamped Rythu Bandhu scheme brought in by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, extending financial assistance to farmers towards agriculture inputs
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday announced that his government will soon roll out the Rythu Bharosa scheme, financially empowering farmers and revitalising the agriculture sector.
Rythu Bharosa is a revamped Rythu Bandhu scheme brought in by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, extending financial assistance to farmers towards agriculture inputs. Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the previous government was providing ₹10,000 per acre a year for every farmer, while the Congress government promised to increase the amount to ₹15,000 per acre.
Replying to a short discussion on Rythu Bharosa scheme, the chief minister said that the previous BRS government, under “Rythu Bandhu” scheme, resorted to large-scale mismanagement and misuse of funds. “During the BRS regime, it had provided ₹72,817 crore under Rythu Bandhu scheme, out of which ₹22,000 crore was paid for non-agricultural lands, including layouts, national highways, and barren lands. He also mentioned cases where fake title deeds were used to claim benefits under the scheme.
“There were instances of Rythu Bandhu being paid for the lands acquired for Rajiv Rahadari national highway in Gajwel and Srisailam road at Amangal. Even crusher units and mining lands were also paid Rythu Bandhu. Nearly 70-80% of land within a 50 km radius of Hyderabad remains uncultivated, yet nearly 30 million acres around the city received financial assistance under Rythu Bandhu,” he added.
Revanth Reddy said that his government was determined to address these flaws and ensure that “Rythu Bharosa” benefits only genuine farmers who actively cultivate their land. He urged the opposition to provide meaningful suggestions to refine the scheme and contribute to its successful execution.
Expressing deep concern over the plight of farmers, the CM referred to the alarming statistics of farmer suicides during the previous administration. Telangana reported 898 farmer suicides in 2014, 1,358 in 2015, and 632 in 2016, highlighting the urgent need for targeted agricultural policies.
He claimed that the Congress government for waiving ₹20,616 crore in farm loans for over 25 lakh farmers within just 27 days of assuming office — an unprecedented achievement in the country. “On the other hand, the previous government had waived only ₹27,000 crore crop loans over a period of 10 years in smaller instalments. This was adjusted to only the interest on crop loans, while the principal amount remained uncleared,” he said.
