ADILABAD: Rythu Vedikas, established by the previous BRS government as welfare centres for farmers, have been shut down in the erstwhile Adilabad district due to poor maintenance, despite government spending lakhs of rupees.
Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs) were appointed to visit the Rythu Vedikas, organise meetings with farmers and create awareness about crop cultivation patterns.
They were tasked to encourage farmers to adopt crop rotation and use less fertilisers and pesticides for better yields at lower costs. However, these objectives remain unmet as such activities are rarely seen.
According to Rythu Sangam leaders, AEOs are preoccupied with administrative tasks such as collecting data on farmer suicides, renewing records, documenting cultivated crop areas, and issuing coupons. As a result, they have little time for direct engagement with farmers.
The state government constructed these buildings at a cost of `22 lakh, funded jointly by the Union and state governments. Initially, some officials conducted regular meetings, but these efforts dwindled over time, leaving many Vedikas closed for up to six months.
For instance, Yapalguda Rythu Vedika, located 6 km from the district headquarters has remained closed for months, with bathrooms rendered unusable due to a lack of maintenance.
Rythu Sangam leaders pointed out that during the united Andhra Pradesh era, agriculture officers visited villages in the early morning by RTC buses and actively engaged with farmers about crop patterns. Farmers from Jainath Mandal, including Ramulu and Wajeed, stated that officials now prefer to resolve farmers’ doubts over the phone instead of holding face-to-face meetings.