The YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday rolled out a scheme to make tractors.
And combine harvesters available to groups of farmers at subsidised cost at custom hiring centres set up across the state.
The scheme –called YSR Yantra Seva – was launched by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at Chuttugunta village in Guntur district. He flagged off as many as 3,800 tractors and 320 combine harvesters lined up at the event.
Taking the driver’s seat of a tractor, the chief minister, wearing a green scarf, drove amidst loud cheers from the gathering at the event. Some farmers, led by Agriculture Mission vice-chairman M V S Nagi Reddy also joined Jagan on the tractor ride.
As part of the programme, the chief minister also credited ₹175 crore into the accounts of 5,260 farmers through direct benefit transfer under the Rythu Bharosa scheme.
Emphasising that his government was committed to the welfare of farmers, the Andhra CM said as many as 10,750 Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs or farmers’ assistance centres) were set up all over the state to help farmers in various matters, including sale of seeds and provision of farm equipment like tractors, and harvesters.
He said that each of the 10,750 RBK centres will have a YSR Yantra Seva Centre (custom hiring centre). The total cost of the scheme is ₹2,016 crore. The government will bear 40 per cent of the machinery cost as subsidy and arrange loans to the farmers’ groups for 50 per cent of the cost and the remaining 10 per cent can be paid by the farmers’ groups,” he said.
The farmers can buy any tractors of their choice from 175 models and the government shall pay the subsidy. “Individual farmers can take the tractors and harvesting machines from these YSR Yantra Seva centres at affordable rates, which will help reduce the input cost,” Jagan said.
Later, the chief minister inaugurated the Jindal Waste to Energy Plant in Kondaveedu of Palnadu District and unveiled the pylon installed at the plant.
State home minister Thaneti Vanita, energy minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, irrigation minister Ambati Rambabu and other officials were present at the event.