Jagan releases Rs 2,096 crore for Rythu Bharosa to 50.92 lakh farmers

NANDYAL: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, on Monday, released Rs 2,096 crore towards the second tranche of financial assistance to farmers under the YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan, to benefit 50.92 lakh farmers in the state. The assistance will be directly credited to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Addressing a public meeting at the YPPM Junior College, the Chief Minister said, the first tranche of Rs 7,500 out of the total assistance of Rs 13, 500 to each farmer was disbursed in May this year. "The second installment amounting to Rs.2,096.04 crore released today, each beneficiary will get Rs.4,000 for Kharif harvesting and Rabi sowing. The last installment of Rs 2,000 each will be released ahead of Sankranti in January next year," said the Chief Minister.

"The YSRCP Government has been spending Rs 7,000 crore every year under the scheme for the benefit of more than 50 lakh farmers. With today's disbursement, the Government has so far incurred Rs 25,971.33 crores under the welfare scheme," said Jagan. This is the fourth consecutive year of the Rythu Bharosa Scheme being implemented. The scheme is being implemented not only for agricultural land owners but also for tenant farmers.

The Government so far spent Rs 1,33,526.92 crore for the benefit of farmers under various welfare schemes such as Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), e-cropping, free crop insurance, input subsidy, free nine-hour supply of power, mechanisation and Minimum Support Price (MSP). "After YSRCP came to power, farmer families received Rs. 51,000 each under various welfare schemes," added Jagan.

The Chief Minister said the state witnessed good rainfall every year after the YSRCP came to power and there was no need to declare even a single Mandal in the state as drought-affected compared to the previous TDP regime which declared several Mandals as drought-affected areas every year. "While the foodgrain production in the TDP regime stood at 154 lakh tonnes, the state achieved a record of 167.24 lakh tonnes of foodgrains after the YSRCP came to power," said Jagan.

According to the reports, the TDP regime had spent Rs 685 crore towards the zero interest-based loans for farmers in its five-year regime while the YSRCP government had spent Rs 1,282 crore for the same. "During the YSRCP regime so far, 44, 28,000 farmers received Rs 6,684 crore as crop insurance while only 30, 85, 000 farmers received Rs 3,411 crore as crop insurance during the TDP regime," added Jagan.

While Chandrababu neglected farmers' welfare by running only 12 labs to check spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the YSRCP government has established 147 such labs out of which 70 labs are operational, he said, adding that TDP Government failed to pay Rs 2,558 crore input subsidy to farmers while the YSRCP government so far disbursed Rs 1,800 crore input subsidy for 20, 85, 000 farmers.

The Chief Minister said that all welfare schemes, intended for farmers in the state such as e-cropping, input subsidy, crop insurance, soil testing and many others are being implemented impartially for all with the support of Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs). "Not even a single farmer's family was found without receiving financial aid in case of suicides," he said.

In response to the appeal of the Allagadda MLA Gangula Brijendra Reddy (Nani), the Chief Minister sanctioned an amount of Rs. 97 crore for development works in the constituency. The funds will be used for the construction of two highway bridges, the completion of a sports stadium, roads and for a degree college. Additionally, a 220 KV substation was also sanctioned for the Allagadda Municipality.