Disparities in financial assistance for marginal farmers, owing less than 1 acre of land

The schemes, aimed at supporting the agricultural community and landless laborers, have sparked a debate on fairness and inclusivity.

mahesh avadhutha I hyderabad

As the Congress government launched its flagship welfare schemes, Rythu Bharosa and Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa (IAB), on January 26 coinciding with the Republic Day, concerns have been raised regarding disparities in financial assistance for marginal farmers, owing less than 1 acre of land. The schemes, aimed at supporting the agricultural community and landless laborers, have sparked a debate on fairness and inclusivity.

The assistance divide

The Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa scheme promises Rs 12,000 to the landless agricultural labourer who completes a minimum of 20 days of work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the previous year-2024. This initiative is expected to benefit a significant portion of the rural workforce. However, the Rythu Bharosa scheme, which provides financial assistance to landholding farmers, calculates the aid based on land size, offering Rs 12,000 per acre annually.

For marginal farmers owning less than one acre (40 Guntas), this results in much lower benefits compared to landless laborers. For instance, a farmer with 0.5 acres (20 Guntas) would receive just Rs 6,000 assistance per year, while those holding as little as 5 guntas (0.125 acres) would get a meager Rs 1,500 per year. This stark disparity has led to dissatisfaction among the sub-marginal farmers who feel overlooked by the government’s welfare agenda.

Calls for uniform assistance

Kiran Vissa of Rythu Swarajya Vedika has highlighted the plight of these sub-marginal farmers, so to say (who have very small lands), urging the government to provide a flat Rs 12,000 assistance to all farmers owning less than one acre under Rythu Bharosa. He pointed out that approximately 20 lakh of the 48 lakh farmers holding up to 2.5 acres in Telangana own less than one acre and are at risk of being sidelined.

Adding to the debate, Vissa pointed out the absence of a cap on maximum acreage for benefits under Rythu Bharosa, which allows large landholders with 10 or even 50 acres to receive substantial payouts in multiples of Rs 12,000 per acre. This lack of regulation on the upper limit of land possession could cost the government thousands of crores, funds that could be redirected to address the needs of small and marginal farmers, Kiran said.

Awaiting government response

The issue has been brought to the attention of higher-ups in the government, and activists and farmers are hopeful of a positive response. All eyes are on the Telangana government to see if it will address the concerns and deliver justice to the most vulnerable farmers, if not for the Yasangi crop season may be from Vaanakalam crop season onwards. 

The situation highlights the need for a more equitable approach that considers the unique challenges of marginal and sub-marginal farmers, ensuring that no section of the rural community is left behind in the drive for the welfare of the agriculture community.