Due to the Congress government’s flawed approach, around one crore acres of agricultural land are at risk of losing Rythu Bharosa benefits. The Congress government has sparked controversy by categorizing uncultivated lands during the Yasangi season as ‘useless lands’ in official records.
Recent data presented by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao in the Legislative Assembly reveals that the Congress government has included lands left fallow in Yasangi under uncultivated lands. Furthermore, these lands are being equated to rocky terrains and hills in official reports.
The Congress has accused the previous BRS government of misusing public funds by extending the Rythu Bandhu investment support scheme to these lands, claiming that Rs. 21,000 crore was wasted on barren and uncultivated areas. However, the Congress government itself admitted in the Assembly that the lands in question are cultivable but were not sown in Yasangi due to water shortages.
By this admission, the earlier claims about Rythu Bandhu being given to non-arable lands have been debunked, exposing the baseless nature of the propaganda. Irrigation water availability plays a significant role in determining cultivation patterns. While more crops are grown during the rainy season due to better water availability, the Yasangi season typically sees a reduction in cultivated acreage.
Recognizing this reality, the BRS government extended Rythu Bandhu support to all cultivable lands, regardless of the season, ensuring farmers were not left unsupported during difficult times. In 2022-23, the BRS government disbursed Rs. 14,743 crore under Rythu Bandhu for 2.94 crore acres.
Although crops were grown on only 2.06 crore acres, Rs. 4,406 crore was provided to support 88.12 lakh acres that remained uncultivated due to water shortages. This approach aimed to support farmers and acknowledge the potential of the land for future cultivation.
In its calculations, the Revanth government excluded horticultural crops and reduced cultivation figures by 63 lakh acres compared to the monsoon season. An additional 15 lakh acres were also removed, labeling a total of 88 lakh acres as uncultivated.
This reduction fails to consider that crops such as cotton, sugarcane, maize, and soybean, grown extensively during the monsoon, are not cultivated in Yasangi due to seasonal constraints. The Congress government’s policy of excluding lands left fallow in Yasangi from cultivation lists raises fears of a potential reduction in Rythu Bharosa benefits.