Guntur: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formally flagged off tractors, combine harvesters and other farm machinery worth Rs 361.29 crore under second phase of the YSR Yantra Seva Scheme here on Friday. He also formally launched 4,019 YSR Yantra Seva Kendras.
Handing over 2,562 tractors, 100 combine harvesters and 3,573 farm machines to the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs)-attached farmers’ groups, the Chief Minister said that 40 per cent subsidy will be given on purchase of these machines while 50 per cent of the cost is arranged through loans and the groups are asked to pay 10 per cent of the cost.
The Chief Minister directly released Rs 125.48 crore of subsidy into the bank accounts of farmers’ groups with the click of a button. The tractors and harvesters will be at the disposal of 10,444 RBKs, he said, adding that cluster level community hiring centers (CHCs) will supervise the operations. He said the government handed over 3,800 tractors, 391 harvesters and 22,580 farm machines worth Rs 690.87 crore to farmers’ groups working under 6,525 RBKs in the first phase with a subsidy of Rs 240.67 crore, besides setting up 391 Community Health Centres. The scheme aims at reducing cost of cultivation and enhance farmers’ income through mechanisation, he said, adding that tractors, harvesters and other machines can be hired by farmers for lesser rents.
