"Jagan Mohan Reddy's 'Rythu Bharosa' is a PR exercise for Centre"

Andhra Presh has launched its flagship 'YSR Rythu Bharosa - PM Kisan Samman Yojana' scheme - for farmers on Tuesday. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formally inaugurated welfare scheme at Kakutur vill in Nellore district on Tuesday. Under scheme, farmers will get financial assistance of Rs. 13,500 per annum in three installments, with state contributing Rs. 7,500 and Centre Rs. 6,000. Rythu Bharosa is one of nine major promises (Navaratnalu or nine gems) me by ruling YSR Congress Party in its manifesto.

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Last-minute enhancement

Just a day before launch of scheme, Chief Minister held a high-level review meeting and enhanced assistance from earlier promise of Rs. 12,500 to Rs. 13,500 annually and decided to implement scheme for five years inste of promised four years.

farmer welfare scheme will benefit over 51 lakh families besides three lakh landless tenant farmers belonging to SC, ST, BCs, and mirities. YSRCP Govt took potshots at previous TDP Government in State for introducing this welfare scheme.

" previous (Chandrababu Naidu) government, in its survey, h wrongfully assessed that re were 43 lakh farmers and data h many loopholes and irregularities at entry-level itself. We have corrected and fine-tuned data, included tenant farmers and number of beneficiaries w stand at 51 lakh. ding to this re are about 3 lakh tenant farmers belonging to SC, ST, BCs, and Mirities who will also be covered under scheme," said state agriculture minister K Kanna Babu.

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Why change in name?

Originally, scheme was christened YSR Rythu Bharosa. However, opposition parties including TDP and BJP widely criticised that ruling party was diluting promise by including central assistance of Rs. 6,000 per annum in it and that schemes should be implemented separately. In what looks like an appeasement measure, Andhra Presh Govt included both YSR Bharosa and PM Kisan Yojana in scheme's name.

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'Scheme won't make agriculture viable'

According to analyst Prof K Nshwar Rao, se sort of schemes generally help farmers build won't solve basic problem of making agriculture viable. "It does alleviate pain to some extent though. However, any amount of fiscal support will t make agriculture viable. re are implementation issues like identifying beneficiaries' face because land records are t proper and tenant farmers are t properly identified. A large number of farmers complain of exclusion. This has to be looked into," he said.

Speaking about rechristening name of scheme, professor felt, "It is part of reaching out to Centre. rmally, State Governments subsume Central government schemes and include it in state schemes. Essentially its a PR exercise though it doesn't matter if credit is given to PM. BJP is t a major force in Andhra Presh. It won't be a threat to Jagan."

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