On World Food Day, Jagan Reddy Launches Input Subsidy Scheme for Farmers, Promises 9-Hour Free Power

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday launched another incentive scheme for farmers, titled ‘YSR Raithu Bharosa-PM Kisan Yojana' that promises to give an amount of Rs 13,500 as input subsidy in three phases.

On the occasion of World Food Day, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the scheme during an event at Kakutu village in Nellore District.

Reddy said though it had initially been decided that Rs 50,000 would be given to farmers as investment support, following interactions with ryots’ groups during the 3,648-km padayatra that he undertook ahead of the elections held earlier this year, it was decided the package would be increased to Rs 67,500.

The scheme, which was designed for a period of four years and scheduled to begin from May 2020, it is being launched in October itself and is extended to five years.

Every eligible family will get Rs 13,500 instead of the promised Rs 12,500 annually and the amount will be given as a staggered payment to meet the cropping pattern of the farmers, he said.

The scheme will benefit 54 lakh farmers, including tenant farmers, and the amount to be paid is split into Rs 4,000 ahead of rabi in October, Rs 7,500 before khariff and Rs 2,000 ahead of Sankranti festival, the CM said.

The scheme that was one of the nine key promises among the ‘Navaratnalu’ made by the YSR Congress Party in its election campaign will be operational till November 15 and eligible farmers, including tenant farmers, can register themselves as beneficiaries by then.

Further, he promised to provide nine hours of electricity supply for free to all farmers soon. “As agriculture tops our priority list, our government has promised to provide nine-hour free power supply to farmers. In nearly 60% of the areas, the feeders are good, while in the remaining 40 % areas there is a need for repairs. Power supply is on in the 60 % villages and Rs 1,700 crore has been sanctioned to upgrade the feeders and by July, all farmers will be getting nine-hour free power supply,” he said.

While promising to come up with more farmer-friendly policies, Reddy promised to do away with road tax for tractor and set up cold storage unit in every mandal. Besides, Rs 2,000 crore has been set aside for natural calamities to deal with drought and floods.

“There is no dearth for urea and we are planning to set up a millets Board and are giving power at Rs 1.50 per unit to aqua farmers and Rs 7 lakh will be paid as insurance amount to the kin of any deceased farmer,” he added.

Earlier in the day, he paid tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary. Vice Chairman of Agriculture Mission MVS Nagi Reddy, state ministers K Kanna Babu, M Goutham Reddy, Anil Kumar Yadav and M Sucharitha, MP YV Subba Reddy and local MLAs were present at the event.