Implement Indiramma Aathmiya Bharosa  without cuts: Harish

The BRS’s Siddipet MLA, Harish Rao, emphasized the need for the government to implement the Indiramma Aathmiya Bharosa scheme without cuts so that all agricultural labourers can receive its benefits.
Addressing a virtual review meeting of the erstwhile Medak district on Wednesday, Harish expressed concern over the exclusion of marginal farmers with minimal landholdings from the scheme. “Farmers holding just a cent of land are being disqualified as agricultural workers, which is unfortunate,” he said.
Highlighting the plight of farmers with less than an acre, he said that around 24,57,000 such farmers exist in the state and they rely on agricultural labour for their livelihood.
Harish criticized the government’s criteria for recognizing agricultural workers under the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS), which requires at least 20 days of work. “This rule fails to consider those who cannot work due to medical or other issues. Such exclusions should be revised to provide help for all,” he said.  “This disparity is unjust, particularly for Dalits and tribals, whose families often split small plots among multiple members,” he added.