Rythu Bandhu offers Rs 2 lakh loan; Rs 1024 cr for godowns: Harish

Marketing Minister T Harish Rao today said the State government has decided to introduce Rythu Bandhu Scheme to provide interest-free loan of Rs 2 lakh to farmers for six months, who store their produce in storage houses or godowns. To provide remunerative prices and storage capacity, the government was spending Rs 1024 crore for construction of adequate number of godowns in the State, he said.

Harish Rao conducted a review meeting with officials and directed them to complete the construction of the godowns on a war-footing and provide adequate space for farmers’ produce and offer them remunerative prices and loans without interest for six months. Besides giving them remunerative prices, the government will provide either loan amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the produce stored or Rs 2 lakh of loans he stated.

Harish said high technology gadgets, internet, WhatsApp and sound system are being used to strengthen the market yards and monitor for better functioning by receiving complaints from the farmers. He said Rs 80 crore was being spent to provide all facilities at marketyards, set up cotton purchase centers through CCI from October 10 to 30 and increased their number to 90 from 80. Steps were being taken to construct at least one godown in a mandal headquarter and 292 godowns with 10.22 lakh tons capacity will be constructed this year while construction of 128 godowns with 6.85 lakh tons began last year.

As part of stabilizing prices, a nodal agency was set up and keeping escalating onion prices in view, the government spent Rs 17.38 crore and supplied 37.14 lakh kg of onions (Rs 20 a kg) to 18.57 lakh families and will set up rythu bazaars in revenue divisions. (NSS)