Hyderabad sources have reported that Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will be the first farmer in the state to give up the agriculture subsidy of Rs 8,000 per acre per year voluntarily. Meanwhile the subsidy is to be given to 71 lakh farmers across the state from May this year. Sources have added that Mr. Rao will make an announcement in this regard for disbursal of this sop to farmers is released in February.
Accordingly Mr. Rao’s “sacrifice” is to encourage “rich farmers” comprising ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, IAS, IPS, Group-I officers etc., to give up the financial aid, since they obviously don’t need it, being farmers in name only.
Moreover according to agriculture department
statistics, 62% of farmers in Telangana state hold less than 2.5 acres of land,
24% own land between 2.5 and 5 acres, 11% own between 5 and 10 acres, less than
3% own between 10 and 25 acres and only 0.88% own more than 25 acres.
