Farmer Caught Growing Cannabis; Loses Rythu Bandhu Benefits

A farmer from Mahabubnagar rural mandal, Telangana got his Rythu Bandhu privileges revoked after it was found that he had produced cannabis plants in his agricultural field last October. 

G Chandraiah, a resident of Mahabubnagar mandal's Manikonda village, was caught growing cannabis plants on his 1.5-acre farm by Excise and Prohibition and Revenue Department officials.

The issue was brought to the notice of district Collector S Venkata Rao.  

After Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's instruction to discontinue granting Rythu Bandhu to cannabis producers, the Collector ordered the termination of agricultural input assistance to the farmer. 

Officials from the Agriculture Department notified Chandraiah that his name has been removed off the list of Rythu Bandhu recipients with immediate effect. 

About Rythu Bandhu Scheme: 

Telangana is a pioneer in farmer empowerment, with its Rythu Bandhu scheme. It is India's first farmer investment support initiative. Rythu Bandhu Scheme, commonly known as Farmers' Investment Support Scheme (FISS), is a welfare program run by the Telangana government that helps farmers invest in two crops every year.

The government is offering 5000 per acre every season to 60 lakh farmers to encourage agriculture investment twice a year, during the rabi (Yasangi) and kharif (Rainy) seasons. This is India's first direct farmer investment assistance initiative, in which cash is provided directly to farmers. 

Benefits: 

• The Rythu Bandhu scheme is a farmer investment scheme recently launched in Telangana wherein the government gives farmers an incentive of Rs.4000 for each acre of land as investment for the crop. 

• The farmers need not approach private money-lenders for marginal loans to buy seeds, fertilizers etc.

• RythuBandhu installment can aid their purchase of inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labor and other investments in the field operations. 

• The farmer can decide his choice of crop for the season and the scheme does not dictate what crop the farmer can take.