The Telangana government would study the possibility of giving a bonus to farmers in addition to the minimum support price paid for their produce, the assembly was informed on Monday.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced this while speaking during a debate in the House on Appropriation Bills.
Advertisement
He was responding to demands from N Uttam Kumar Reddy (Congress) for giving bonus to agriculturists.
Such a bonus is being given in Karnataka and some other states, Reddy said.
To support cultivators, the government has been offering power subsidy to them, a measure implemented in only a few states in the country, Rao said.
Rao also said his government has waived off farm loans worth Rs 17,000 crore.
He announced hikes in the 'mess charges' (monetary assistance) of a number of categories of students, including those staying in government hostels and day-scholars.
There are a total of 18 lakh such students and the financial burden on the exchequer would be Rs 117 crore per year, government sources said.
The chief minister said the social security pension of Rs 1,000 per month would be paid to an additional 81,000 beedi workers.