Telangana’s Rythu Vedikas are helping the collective might of farmers; delivery of support is streamlined with better outcomes

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had conceived and inaugurated the first of the 2,601 Rythu Vedikas (Farmers’ Platforms) in the state two years ago in 2020. They are now yielding desired results. The initiative is proving to be a path-breaking role model in the areas of agriculture, while being hailed by many for being a revolutionary step that would change the contours of the farming sector.

Agriculture is a way of life and tradition that has shaped the culture and economic life of the people of Telangana. It continues to be the focal point to all the strategies for planned socio-economic development of Telangana. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of Telangana and its better performance is vital for inclusive growth. For boosting agriculture production, Telangana Government deployed one Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) for every 5,000 acres (Cluster) and then felt the need to create a platform for the farmers to assemble, share their ideas and experiences, while also assimilating knowledge on latest technologies.

Accordingly, the Government of Telangana decided to construct 2,601 Rythu Vedikas (2,462 in rural areas and 139 in urban parts of the state) in all the Agriculture Extension Officer’s clusters. Government earmarked an amount of Rs 22 Lakhs for each Rythu Vedika towards the construction cost. Rythu Vedikas are the first of its kind in India where a platform is created for the farmers to organize themselves in groups for attaining their ultimate objectives to get the remunerative prices for their crops, better marketing facilities, higher productivity and ultimately making the agriculture profitable. They will also help the farmers to organize themselves into a formidable group to protect their rights. As on date construction of all the Rythu Vedikas has been completed.

The Rythu Vedikas are provided with tap water, electricity, furniture, while the state government also bears the maintenance costs. The Government of Telangana proposes to connect all Rythu Vedikas across the state through the optical fiber network of T-Fiber by ITE&C department. The AEOs are working from the Rythu Vedikas and are utilizing the Rythu Vedikas as AEOs office. Rythu Bandhu Samithi members are also working from Rythu Vedikas. Rythu Vedikas function through three verticals manned by qualified staff. They are -- Delivery of Services, Capacity Building and Knowledge Dissemination. They also get farmer advisories, besides linkages with service centers for all the Government schemes.

Delivery of services include: Crop Booking, Enrolment of farmers under Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, PM Kisan, etc., and implementation of various state and centrally sponsored schemes by selection of farmers. Capacity building includes region specific and crop oriented training programs to create awareness among the farmers. Also, training of the farmers on identification, advantages of natural risks and timely application of inputs to harness the higher yields are provided. The emphasis is to empower the farmers by adopting good agricultural practices, duly emphasizing the critical stages of a crop and decision making in his own field, and also helping to minimise the pesticide and insecticide usage. As part of knowledge dissemination, training and field diagnostic visits and demonstrations take place.

Besides, timely farm advisories to farmers on pests and disease outbreak, weather updates, market prices, availability of seeds, fertilizers, etc., at Rythu Vedikas in Coordination with Agriculture University, IMD, TSDPS, etc., are provided to the farmers. Rythu Vedikas are serving as service centers for all Government schemes at cluster level by disseminating the latest guidelines, feedback of farmers and for making the schemes more reachable to the farmers thereby achieving the ultimate objective of making Rythe Raju (Farmer the King).

Agriculture and Horticulture Universities, National level institutes like WALAMTARI, DRR, DOR as well as State and National Institutes on Agriculture and allied departments are utilizing the Rythu Vedikas for their programs.

The formal inauguration of the initiative was accompanied with passion, courage, vision, determination and devotion of CM KCR to usher in a qualitative, quantitative and expressive farm policy that would eradicate all problems, adversaries and ill effects of the farm sector and make it a profitable sector forever. More than the stated aims and objectives, the Rythu Vedikas ably supported by the government policies would become instrumental to bring in a transparent, people-friendly and progressive change in the governments to come.

Chief Minister Rao has unveiled his vision for the Rythu Vedikas’ role in Telangana by asserting that they should become a formidable force not only in agriculture but also focal centers to determine change in governance. He also wanted farmers to utilize the Rythu Vedikas to stall attempts by the Centre to thrust upon the anti-farmer and pro-corporate Farm Acts that were brought in forcibly and later withdrawn by the union government.

Inaugurating Rythu Vedika, the Chief Minister made a passionate plea to farmers to utilize the Rythu Vedika and the opportunity provided by the government to become a united force and charter the course of their profession in the way it is profitable and comfortable. He envisaged that through Rythu Vedikas, farmers at a later stage would be able to determine which crops they should cultivate, what price they should fix for their produce and how to market them for greater profitability.

Referring to the concept of Rythu Vedika, CM KCR said that nowhere in the world or in the country, farmers were organized and this Telangana Model is the first of its kind step to make farmers united and a formidable force since the farmers by and large in our country and worldwide were left to themselves.

He compared the situation of agriculture before and after the formation of the state. Apart from an increase in the extent of cultivation by leaps and bounds, the output also reached dizzy heights. He also said that no other state in the country, not even the Centre, is implementing a slew of programs, projects, policies and schemes for the agriculture sector and farmers as was being done in the State. In fact, the pro-farmer and pro-agriculture schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, Rythu Vedikas, and 24-hour free power supply and host of other schemes were initiated by KCR government without any one asking for it or making a demand for them.

KCR’s vision and dream was to see that one day the Rythu Vedikas should become catalysts for a better change. The Chief Minister made it abundantly clear that he wanted every farmer in the state with the extraordinary support provided by the government to rise to the occasion, and reach a stage where he should be able to clear all his dues and have about Rs 2 to 3 lakh with him as savings to invest into his cultivation on his own without taking any external financial support. “It is then that the real Bangaru Telangana is achieved,” the CM remarked.

No doubt, the Rythu Vedikas in the days to come will become a hub for all the farmer related activities, Agriculture Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination Centers at cluster level duly serving the objective of the Government to provide services at doorsteps of the farmers to make farming sustainable and profitable. Why aren't these replicated all over the country to benefit farmers?

The author is Chief Public Relations Officer to Chief Minister, Telangana