₹9,000 Cr Rythu Bharosa: Telangana releases first installment of ₹3,590 Cr to 24.22L farmers

Siddipet: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday released the first installment of ₹3,590 crore to 24.22 lakh farmers under the Rythu Bharosa scheme.

Under the initiative, the government will transfer ₹9,000 crore into farmers' accounts in three installments over the next 45 days.

The announcement was made during the `Farmers Festival’ at Narmetta. The Chief Minister inaugurated a new Oil Palm processing factory at the event.

On this occasion, he released the first installment of the benefit, asserting his government’s commitment to agricultural prosperity.

Scaling Up Farmers' Welfare

Drawing a sharp contrast with the previous administration, CM Revanth Reddy stated that while the former BRS regime spent an average of ₹2,533 crore monthly on farmers, his `people’s government' is incurring an expenditure of ₹5,500 crore per month.

"I firmly believe that neither agriculture where the ox weeps, nor a kingdom where the farmer weeps, can ever truly prosper," said Revanth Reddy. He highlighted that the government has already spent over ₹1 lakh crore on farmer welfare within two years, navigating challenges like crop loss compensation and record paddy production.

Global Crisis and Fertilizer Security

In a significant cautionary note, the Chief Minister warned of a potential fertilizer shortage triggered by the ongoing Iran-America conflict and broader Middle East instability. He directed state authorities to coordinate with the Union Government to secure maximum urea allocations.

"This is not the time for politics," Reddy emphasized. "We must meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and move forward with unity to ensure our state’s needs are met."

Push for Crop Diversification

Despite Telangana emerging as the top paddy producer in India, the CM urged farmers to shift toward crop diversification. He noted that while the state procured 71 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, the Central Government’s procurement limit stands at 50 lakh metric tonnes.

To mitigate this gap, the government plans to:

Promote oil palm cultivation across 10 lakh acres.

Facilitate agricultural exports to international markets.

Establish new processing units, including a requested plant in the Kodangal constituency.

Political Challenge in Siddipet

Turning to local politics, the Chief Minister issued a bold challenge in the BRS stronghold of Siddipet. He announced that any leader who defeats the BRS incumbent in the next assembly election would be rewarded with a Cabinet Minister post.

Appealing to voters to end "family-run politics," he entrusted Ministers G. Vivek and Damodar Raja Narasimha with securing a Congress victory in the segment, while expressing confidence that the Congress party would retain power in the 2029 general elections.

Women's Empowerment and Education

The Chief Minister also touched upon broader social reforms, including:

Economic Independence: Providing ₹57,000 crore in bank linkage loans to women’s self-help groups, some of whom are now entering the solar power sector.

Education Reform: The upcoming launch of Telangana Public Schools is designed to compete with corporate institutions, alongside Advanced Training Centers (ATCs) for youth skill development.

CM Revanth Reddy reiterated his vision to transform every village into a model of agricultural profitability, citing the success of Ankapur as the benchmark for the state’s 12,728 Gram Panchayats.