Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao will hold a meeting with agriculture department officials and Farmers’ Coordination Committees on June 4 to review the progress of the Rythu Bandhu Scheme and the distribution of cheques and passbooks to farmers.
“The Agriculture extension officers (AEOs) of each cluster should take the responsibility of taking the state towards establishing crop colonies, mechanisation and establishing of food processing units,” he said at a meeting held with Agriculture Department officers and ministers.
The Telangana Chief Minister said that in the upcoming meeting, the aforementioned issues would be discussed thoroughly.
“The government is doing its best for the welfare of farmers by providing round-the-clock free power supply, arrangement of timely distribution of seeds and fertilizers, investment support, and farmers insurance,” he added.
Rao further noted that under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme, for every 5000 acres, AEOs should have detailed information of all the farmers in every cluster and the entire information of all the clusters should be sent to the Agriculture Minister.
“The AEO should educate the farmer in his cluster on the cropping pattern and about the best crop that suits the soil etc,” he added.
Rao also noted that AEOs should coordinate the marketing facility on the farmers’ produce both within the states and around the country, thereby behaving like promoters of issues pertaining to farmer welfare, and not officers.
He also stressed on the cropping methods used by farmers and said methods of farming need to be modified to grow profitable crops. The Agriculture Minister and Chairman of the Rythu Samanvaya Samithi were also advised to work towards making Agriculture profitable.
“Once irrigated water is made available through Palamuru, Sitarama, Kaleshwaram projects, Telangana will become the No. 1 state in agriculture,” he added.
Rao advised officers to issue a detailed letter with the Minister’s signature to all the farmers, briefing them about the schemes designed and implemented for their welfare.
“As part of the Insurance Bonds distribution from August 15, meetings of farmers should be held in every village educating them on various aspects of farming and mechanisation,” he added.
On a related note, Rao will address Agriculture Extension officers, District Agriculture officers and Coordinators of Rythu Samanvaya Samithis on June 4 at the Agriculture University in Hyderabad. (ANI)