Telangana government to launch new scheme for benefit of tribal ryots
HYDERABAD: The state government on Thursday announced a new scheme, “Indira Soura Giri Jala Vikasam”, and sanctioned Rs 12,600 crore for its implementation in the next five years.
The scheme is envisaged to provide solar-powered irrigation to six lakh acres in the next five years for 2.1 lakh tribal farmers holding RoFR titles, issued under the Recognition of Forest Rights Act (RoFR), 2006.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will formally launch the scheme on May 18 at Macharam village in Amrabad mandal.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that as part of its efforts to uplift the economic and living standards of tribal farmers who were granted land rights under the Forest Rights Act enacted by the UPA government in 2006, the Telangana government has decided to launch this new flagship initiative.
The scheme is aimed at developing land and horticulture, and also providing solar pump set (off-grid) based irrigation facilities. The scheme will commence in 2025–26 and will be implemented till 2029–30 on a 100 per cent subsidy basis on saturation mode. The unit cost will be Rs 6 lakh.
According to a government estimate, around 2.1 lakh ST farmers lack irrigation facilities for improving land productivity, basic amenities and livelihood measures due to non-availability of energy.
There is an emerging need to take up comprehensive development of RoFR lands by providing irrigation facilities through solar pump sets (off-grid), according to a GO issued by the government on Thursday.
Rights over forest land
Under the RoFR Act, 2006, the state government has so far recognised and vested rights over forest for 2,30,735 STs and issued RoFR title deeds, covering an extent of 6.69 lakh acres.
To date, irrigation facilities have been provided to 23,886 ST farmers, covering 69,039 acres with an estimated cost of Rs 141.57 crore through various schemes.
Due to objections from the Forest department concerning electricity-related aspects, irrigation and infrastructure development had not been extended to the remaining six lakh acres belonging to 2.1 lakh ST farmers.
At a review meeting on January 10, 2025, the chief minister directed implementation of a special scheme to provide solar pump sets to RoFR title-holding tribal farmers at 100 per cent grant funding.
Accordingly, the Indira Soura Giri Jala Vikasam scheme was formulated with a total outlay of Rs 12,600 crore under the STSDF scheme.
According to Rule 16 of the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006, the state government shall ensure through its departments, especially Tribal Welfare, Social Welfare, Environment and Forest, Revenue, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and other departments relevant to upliftment of forest-dwelling STs and other traditional forest dwellers, that all government schemes including those relating to land improvement, land productivity, basic amenities and other livelihood measures are provided to such claimants and communities whose rights have been recognised and vested under the Act.