Gudur Narayana Reddy seeks special Rythu Bharosa package for El Niño-hit farmers

Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy demanded on 17 October that the Congress government announce a special Rythu Bharosa package for farmers hit by severe drought-like conditions linked to El Niño. He also called for the immediate clearance of all pending Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bharosa dues. Farmers cannot sacrifice an entire cropping season without adequate financial protection, he said.

Narayana Reddy was reacting to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s appeal to farmers to skip one crop during the forthcoming Yasangi (Rabi) season to conserve drinking water. He questioned how agricultural families would survive without income from cultivation. “The Chief Minister is asking farmers to sacrifice one crop to protect drinking water supplies. But who will protect farmers from financial ruin?” he asked. If the government expects farmers to sacrifice their livelihood in the larger public interest, he added, it must compensate them adequately.

Telangana faces an unprecedented agricultural crisis, Narayana Reddy said, citing deficient rainfall, depleted reservoirs and declining groundwater levels. The state recorded a rainfall deficit of nearly 17 per cent during the southwest monsoon. It received 615.5 mm against the normal 740.6 mm. The cumulative deficit reportedly widened to around 23 per cent by mid-October.

He pointed out that nearly 18 of Telangana’s 33 districts had deficient rainfall. Shortages exceeded 40 per cent in some districts, including Jogulamba Gadwal. Major reservoirs reportedly held only 200–209 TMC against the usual 460–462 TMC. Compared with the previous year, storage in the Krishna and Godavari basins fell by approximately 72 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively.

The BJP leader said rising temperatures, falling groundwater levels and growing dependence on agricultural pumpsets had worsened the crisis. Power demand reportedly rose to nearly 20,000 MW against the usual October requirement of around 15,000 MW. Meanwhile, hydropower generation declined.

Estimates he cited suggest crop losses during the Vanakalam season could reach Rs 20,000 crore. Narayana Reddy demanded an immediate statewide assessment of agricultural damage. Paddy cultivation had declined by nearly 13 lakh acres, he said, and cotton yields could fall by up to 50 per cent in severely affected areas. Paddy yields could also decline by 30–35 per cent in some regions. Standing crops across nearly 10 lakh acres face risks.

“Farmers have already suffered enormous losses during Vanakalam,” he said. The government now advises them to abandon Yasangi cultivation, he added, which means losing income from two consecutive seasons. He asked how any farming family could survive such a situation without substantial government assistance.

Narayana Reddy demanded a special per-acre compensation package over and above the regular Rythu Bharosa assistance of Rs 6,000 per acre per season. He insisted that it should cover farmers whose crops failed, those unable to sow because of water scarcity and those who voluntarily skipped cultivation on government advice. He also sought financial assistance for tenant farmers and actual cultivators. These farmers bear agricultural expenses but remain outside landownership-based benefit schemes.

The BJP leader criticised the Congress government for reducing its election promise of Rs 15,000 per acre annually to Rs 12,000 under Rythu Bharosa. He said allegations of pending payments running into thousands of crores required immediate clarification. “The government must publish district-wise and constituency-wise details of Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bharosa payments since December 2023,” he demanded. He listed the details as the amounts released, beneficiaries covered, acreage supported and outstanding dues. The government, he said, must clear every legitimate pending payment immediately.

Regular investment assistance cannot pass as drought compensation, Narayana Reddy said. “Rythu Bharosa is meant to support cultivation. Drought compensation is an additional responsibility,” he said. The government cannot substitute one for the other, he added.

Expressing concern over the impact on agricultural labourers and rural employment, he urged the government to introduce special employment measures in affected mandals. He also sought subsidised seeds for pulses, oilseeds, millets and other less water-intensive crops. Besides this, he called for measures to prevent distress sales and to relieve indebted farmers.

Rythu Bharosa package urged for 101 severely hit mandals

Narayana Reddy said reports identifying 101 mandals as severely drought-affected and another 214 as moderately affected warranted urgent intervention. The government should assess conditions in these mandals and protect standing crops wherever possible. It should also secure financial assistance from the Centre under applicable drought-relief norms.

He urged the Chief Minister to convene the proposed all-party meeting without delay. The government should present a comprehensive assessment of rainfall shortages, reservoir storage, crop damage, drinking water requirements and financial needs, he said. He also demanded that the government lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi to seek a special central assistance package.

He called the government’s priority of ensuring drinking water to thousands of villages over the next eight to ten months understandable. However, the burden of conserving water should not fall entirely on farmers, he said. The Chief Minister has described the situation as an extraordinary crisis requiring collective sacrifice. “The government’s response must be equally extraordinary. Farmers cannot be asked to bear extraordinary losses while receiving only ordinary assistance,” Narayana Reddy said.

Finally, he demanded the immediate announcement of a special Rythu Bharosa relief package, clearance of verified pending dues, compensation for crop losses and financial protection for farmers who follow the advice to skip Yasangi cultivation. “Not a single farming family should be pushed into debt or distress for sacrificing a crop to protect the state’s drinking water needs,” he said.