Sat Dec 21 15:46:23 UTC 2024: ## Telangana Legislators Debate Rythu Bharosa Scheme Amidst Concerns Over Misuse
**Hyderabad, December 21, 2024** – The Telangana Assembly witnessed a heated debate on Saturday regarding the Rythu Bharosa scheme, a farmer investment support program. Opposition parties raised concerns over alleged misuse of over ₹21,000 crore, claiming funds were improperly distributed to landowners with fallow, barren, or non-agricultural land.
CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao urged the government to verify land under cultivation before distributing funds, highlighting the illegal acquisition of pattadar passbooks by realtors and others. He proposed limiting support to 15 acres per farmer and extending benefits to tenant farmers and those cultivating on podu, endowment, and wakf lands.
Congress MLAs T. Rammohan Reddy and B. Krishnamohan Reddy (formerly of BRS) advocated for extending Rythu Bharosa benefits to all farmers regardless of land size. Mr. Krishnamohan Reddy also called for increasing the Rythu Bima insurance coverage to ₹10 lakh.
AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi focused on the state’s debt, questioning the terms of recent borrowings and the status of the government’s debt-swapping plan. He urged for transparency by including State PSU/Corporation borrowings in public financial reports.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao responded by highlighting the success of promoting fine paddy varieties, increasing their cultivation from 21% to 61%. He acknowledged the varied concerns raised during the discussion, which extended beyond the scope of the Rythu Bharosa scheme itself.
First Piper 