Telangana CM launches insurance scheme for farmers

Hyderabad :  Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today launched three new schemes, including free life insurance for farmers, on the occasion of Independence Day.

Unfurling the national flag at the historic Golconda Fort here, he also launched an eye care initiative aiming to cover all citizens in the state and an economic support programme for backward classes.

“Telangana is number one in public welfare in the country (with over 40 welfare programmes being implemented with Rs 40,000 crore),” the chief minister saidand sought people’s support for the state to continue its “victory march.”

“(I) did not rest until Telangana state, which was thought to be impossible, was made possible.I am rededicating to build a ‘golden Telangana’ with the same strength of will.

People are my source of support in this journey…,” he said.

Under the ‘Rythu Bima’ scheme, every farmer would get life insurance cover of Rs five lakh.

The state government has already paid Rs 636 crore towards premium for the scheme.

According to official sources, 28 lakh farmers in the age group of 18 to 59 would be insured. The government would bear an annual premium of Rs 2271.50 per farmer.

Under the economic support scheme for backward classes, the government would provide a grant of Rs 50,000 to the beneficiaries to start small businesses.

Rao later travelled to Malkapur village near here to launch the ‘Kanti Velugu’ eye care scheme.

‘Kanti Velugu’ entitles every citizen of Telangana to free eye care, providing free eye screenings, medicines and spectacles and surgeries. It envisages covering 3.7 crore population.

Rao said the second phase of distribution of cheques under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ investment support scheme for farmers would begin in November.

As per the scheme, the government provides Rs 8,000 per acre for two crops to every farmer as investment support.

In the first phase, the state government distributed Rs 5,111 crore to 49,49,000 farmers.

The government is setting up a mega textile park in Warangal to provide employment to weavers and ‘Textile hubs’ were being set up at Sircilla and Gadwal, he said.

Rao, who said the state government was spending Rs 2,000 crore on minorities welfare and development, said it has been decided to set up a special IT park for IT industrialists from the minority sections.

“Work is on at a brisk pace to run Hyderabad metro rail services from Ameerpet to LB Nagar next month and from Ameerpet to Hitech City in November,” Rao said.

The state government was implementing a special plan to make Hyderabad a global city, Rao said.

Different construction programmes have been taken up at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore, he said, adding that a plan to improve basic facilities would be implemented in Hyderabadat Rs 50,000 crore in the next five years.