Large tracts of land found ineligible for Rythu Bharosa

A recent government survey aimed at identifying lands ineligible for input subsidies under the Rythu Bharosa scheme has uncovered discrepancies in land usage. Over the course of two days, officials visited more than 150 villages and found that owners of 6,000 acres of land, previously benefiting from the Rythu Bandhu scheme, were receiving subsidies for land that are not cultivable lands. They are hillocks and the lands being used for real-estate ventures.
In the Bhoodan Pochampally mandal alone, officials identified 300 acres of such land, which is ineligible for subsidy under Rythu Bharosa. The survey findings led to the immediate removal of these lands from the Rythu Bharosa data, a similar programme introduced by the Congress government.
District officials are optimistic that by January 24, a clearer picture will emerge regarding the extent of ineligible lands that had previously benefited from the Rythu Bandhu scheme without being cultivated. The total landholding in the district is estimated at 8 lakh acres, with over 6 lakh acres being cultivable.
In the 2023 Yasangi (rabi) season, a total of 2,48,536 farmers received Rs 5,000 per acre for 5,87,360 acres under Rythu Bandhu, amounting to a disbursement of Rs 293.68 crore. However, following the Congress government’s decision to conduct a survey, the focus shifted to ensuring that subsidies are provided only to lands where crops are actively grown.
According to the Agriculture Department, crops are raised in just 4.50 lakh acres, yet subsidies had been disbursed for 6 lakh acres. The new survey also identified hillocks, real estate ventures, and farmhouses previously included in the Rythu Bandhu list.
In the district, real estate development has been widespread, with promoters selling small plots of land, marketed with promises of subsidy benefits for agricultural land. These lands, often sold in units like five or ten guntas, are also being excluded from the list.
Revenue surveyors and agriculture department staff are working together to ensure that only eligible agricultural lands are part of the Rythu Bharosa scheme moving forward.