Telangana four years later: The farmer is all smiles

Telangana which turns four today has faced several challenges since its formation. The people of the state not just fought but laid down their lives to ensure that a separate state was formed.

Four years down, the people of the state are relatively happy with the developments. Sudhakar Rao, a resident of Hyderabad says that the developments have taken place at a good pace. However what brings them the most joy is that the identity that they had been fighting for has been restored. It is a very emotional moment for all of us he also says.

On the development front, the youngest state of India has created a record by implementing 60 different farmer-friendly programmes. The people say that the biggest development factor has been on the agriculture front. K Chandrashkara Rao understands the pain of a farmer she he was one himself. KCR as he fondly called also says that he knows the pain and suffering of the farmers and hence my government stood as a backbone to them.

The big change was affected when the government decided to provide free and uninterrupted power to the farming sector. The government also waived off farm loans and also introduced the popular scheme Rythu Bandhu, a farmer input support scheme of Rs 8,000 per acre which goes directly into the account of the farmer through cheques.
As per the NITI Aayog's Agriculture Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index' Telangana is ranked among the top 10 most farmer-friendly states in the country.
KCR in addition to this also undertook a drive to clean up land records, distribute new Pattadar pass books which has ended unwanted litigation among the rural folk.

Telangana is also the first state in the country to provide 26% of its annual budget to agriculture. Telangana also allocated Rs 3,390 crore in the first year and, subsequently Rs 3,397 crore and Rs 8,083 crore for purchase of produce at Minimum Support Prices from farmers. A separate mechanism has also been put in place for stabilisation of prices of agricultural produce. The State government has been providing tractors to farmers at 50% subsidy while waiving off transport tax on them.

The Telangana government also provides 'Saddi Muta' hygienic food at Rs five to farmers who bring their produce to market yards in Boinpally, Siddipet, Gajwel and Adilabad. Efforts are also made to supply seeds, fertiliser, and pesticides to farmers at farmers' doorstep through Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies.