HYDERABAD: State finance minister E Rajender has requested Union finance minister Arun Jaitley to see that the cash flow in banks in Telangana is sufficient for the state government’s investment support scheme for farmers. The state government has decided to provide Rs 4,000 per acre to farmers from May 15 for the Kharif agricultural season and will distribute cheques towards the objective. Rajender explained the scheme to Jaitley and urged him to ensure sufficient cash flows in various banks in the state from May.
Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and chief whip Koppula Eswar too met Jaitley along with Rajender. Speaking to reporters later in Delhi, Srinivas Reddy said they decided to disburse Rs 4,000 per acre to farmers from May 1 to 10 for Kharif crops. There are 71.75 lakh farmers holding 1,42,12,870 acres of land.
The state will distribute Rs 6,000 crore to these farmers. At a recent meeting, bankers explained that they had no sufficient cash if the government issued cheques for Rs 6,000 crore. Hence the state’s request to the Centre for sufficient cash flow into TS. Reddy said they also requested Jaitley to reduce the GST on agricultural implements used especially for micro and drip irrigation.
GST COUNCIL MEET
Rajender said he would participate in the GST Council meeting and state finance ministers’ meeting on Thursday and demanded allocation of more funds in the forthcoming Union budget for TS. “We need huge allocations for Mission Bhagiratha and irrigation projects,” he said. Rajender said the state government had already made its stand clear on bringing petrol and diesel under GST. He may ask the GST Council to reduce GST on certain items including beedi and agricultural implements.