Amid a grim scenario brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday released Rs 3,928 crore which was directly credited into the bank accounts of 52.38 lakh farmers across the state.
This was the first tranche of the YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme in its third consecutive year, where each eligible farmer gets Rs 7,500.
The Chief Minister said that despite the COVID-19 crisis, the state government hasn't held back any welfare schemes, including Rythu Bharosa. The scheme was initiated to benefit the farmer fraternity across the state.
"So far, the state government has spent Rs 68,000 crore alone for farmers in the past 23 months, whereas for Rythu Bharosa alone, Rs 17,029 crore was spent. In all these 23 months, the government had directly credited Rs 89,000 crore into the accounts of the beneficiaries under various schemes without any discrimination or corruption, with full transparency and accuracy," he said.
The Chief Minister said that Rs 2,000 crore will be credited into the accounts of 38 lakh farmers on May 25 under the YSR Free Crop Insurance scheme.
The Chief Minister had launched the scheme that provides cash incentive of Rs 13,500 for farm inputs in 2019. The scheme benefits only land owning farmers who receive payments in three parts annually. In the first ever installment made in 2019, the state released an amount of Rs 3,785 crore for 38 lakh farmers.
The scheme also assures drilling of borewells free of cost, a calamity relief fund of Rs 4,000 crore, 9 hours of free electricity during the day, and setting up of cold storage units and food processing centres. The second installment under the scheme will be made in October 2021 and the third installment in January 2022.
(With IANS Inputs)