Gudur Narayana Reddy demands special Rythu Bharosa relief package for drought-hit farmers
Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy demanded a special Rythu Bharosa relief package for Telangana farmers affected by El Niño-linked drought conditions. He also urged the Congress government to clear pending Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bharosa payments immediately.
Reacting to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s appeal to farmers to skip Yasangi cultivation, he sought compensation for lost income. The Chief Minister had advised farmers to forgo one crop to conserve drinking water.
However, Narayana Reddy questioned how agricultural families could survive without earnings from an entire cropping season. “The Chief Minister is asking farmers to sacrifice one crop to protect drinking water supplies. But who will protect farmers from financial ruin?” he asked.
He said the government had to provide adequate financial protection if farmers sacrificed cultivation in the public interest. Telangana had faced severe agricultural stress following deficient rainfall, falling groundwater levels and depleted reservoirs, he said.
The state recorded a southwest monsoon rainfall deficit of nearly 17 per cent. It received 615.5 mm against the normal 740.6 mm. Moreover, the cumulative shortfall reportedly widened to around 23 per cent by mid-October. Nearly 18 of Telangana’s 33 districts experienced deficient rainfall. In some districts, including Jogulamba Gadwal, shortages exceeded 40 per cent.
Meanwhile, major reservoirs reportedly held 200–209 TMC against the usual 460–462 TMC. Storage in the Krishna and Godavari basins fell approximately 72 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, year-on-year.
Rising temperatures and greater dependence on agricultural pumpsets also increased pressure on electricity supplies. Power demand reportedly approached 20,000 MW against the usual October requirement of 15,000 MW. Hydropower generation also declined.
Rythu Bharosa relief package sought for crop losses
Narayana Reddy demanded an immediate statewide crop damage assessment, citing estimates that Vanakalam losses could reach Rs 20,000 crore. Paddy cultivation had declined by nearly 13 lakh acres, he said. Cotton yields could fall by 50 per cent in severely affected areas. Similarly, paddy yields faced an estimated 30–35 per cent decline in some regions.
Standing crops across nearly 10 lakh acres also faced risks due to water shortages. He warned that farmers had already suffered losses during Vanakalam and faced another income setback if they skipped Yasangi.
“How can any farming family survive such a situation without substantial government assistance?” he asked. The BJP leader sought special per-acre compensation beyond the regular Rs 6,000 assistance provided under Rythu Bharosa each season.
Furthermore, he demanded coverage for farmers who lost crops, could not sow because of water scarcity or followed government advice to skip cultivation. He also sought assistance for tenant farmers and actual cultivators excluded from landownership-based schemes.
Narayana Reddy criticised the Congress government for reducing its election promise of Rs 15,000 per acre annually to Rs 12,000. He also demanded clarification on allegations that pending farmer assistance payments had reached thousands of crores.
The government should publish district-wise and constituency-wise payment records from December 2023, he said. These records should include released amounts, beneficiary numbers, supported acreage and outstanding dues.
Additionally, he demanded immediate clearance of every verified pending payment. He maintained that regular cultivation assistance could not replace drought compensation. The government had to provide separate relief for agricultural losses, he said.
Rythu Bharosa relief package must cover tenant farmers
Narayana Reddy urged the government to introduce special employment measures for agricultural labourers in drought-affected mandals. He also sought subsidised seeds for pulses, oilseeds, millets and other crops requiring less water. Further, he demanded measures against distress sales and financial relief for indebted farmers.
Reports had identified 101 mandals as severely drought-affected and another 214 as moderately affected, he said. Therefore, he called for immediate field assessments and measures to protect standing crops wherever possible. He also urged the state to seek central assistance under applicable drought-relief norms.
Narayana Reddy demanded that Revanth Reddy convene the proposed all-party meeting without delay. The meeting should review rainfall shortages, reservoir storage, crop damage, drinking water requirements and financial needs, he said.
He also sought an all-party delegation to New Delhi to request a special central assistance package. The BJP leader acknowledged the government’s priority of securing drinking water for thousands of villages over the next eight to ten months. However, he opposed placing the entire burden of water conservation on farmers.
He said the extraordinary crisis required equally substantial government assistance. Finally, Narayana Reddy reiterated his demand for a Rythu Bharosa relief package, verified dues clearance and compensation for affected farmers.
“Farmers have always stood by Telangana. Now the government must stand by them,” he said. He urged the government to ensure that no farming family faced debt or distress after sacrificing cultivation to conserve drinking water.