HYDERABAD: Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageshwara Rao on Thursday alleged that the BRS when it was in power extended Rythu Bandhu benefits running into thousands of crores to farmers who did not cultivate any land.
The minister was speaking at the “Growth with impact - Government summit” organised by Deloitte in New Delhi.
“Between 2018 to 2023, the then BRS government disbursed over Rs 15,000 crore to landowners who did not cultivate land under the Rythu Bandhu scheme,” he said.
Comparing the previous regime’s policies and schemes with that of the present Congress government, he said: “Our welfare schemes, such as Rythu Bharosa and Rythu Bima have been pivotal in supporting farmers. But there have been challenges in implementation of these schemes. Our government recognises these gaps and we are leveraging technology to refine our systems and ensure that benefits reach farmers who need them the most.”
‘Farmers, govt need private sector’s expertise, resources’
The minister also said that the farmers and government need the private sector’s expertise, resources and innovative capacity for improving the agriculture sector. “From AI-driven crop management systems to blockchain-based supply chain solutions, Telangana is fast becoming a hub for agritech innovation,” he added.
Nageshwara Rao said that the government is also committed to promoting farm mechanisation and data analytics to optimise input use and increase productivity. “Our irrigation and power initiatives have not only spurred unprecedented agricultural growth but also brought new challenges. One such challenge is the over-reliance on paddy cultivation. Today, paddy dominates 44 per cent of the cropped area in Kharif and a staggering 76 per cent in Rabi season. This heavy reliance on a single crop places immense pressure on our water resources and exposes farmers to risks associated with market volatility and soil degradation,” he said.
“To address this, the government is actively promoting crop diversification. Our Oil Palm Mission is a key initiative in this regard. By 2029, we aim to cover 3.5 lakh acres with oil palm cultivation, offering farmers a more sustainable and profitable alternative,” the minister added.
Thummala asks Centre to release funds to provide aid for the flood-hit
Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageshwara Rao visited the stall set up by Telangana government at the World Food India Summit in the nation capital. He also met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and urged him to ensure release of funds for damaged crops due to recent floods and rain. He also called on Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Pashwan and sought Centre’s assistance in setting up of food processing units in Telangana. During a meeting with Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, he requested the Centre to expedite the process of building airports in Warangal, Adilabad, Mahbubnagar and Kothagudem. He also informed the Union minister that land has already been allocated for establishing the airport in Kothagudem.