International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Mounika Akula, MR Chandrakar and Nirmala B

abstract
The Rythu Bandhu Scheme (RBS), launched by the Government of Telangana, aims to support farmers by providing direct investment support of ?5,000 per acre per season. This financial assistance is intended to reduce the dependence of farmers on credit and promote the timely use of inputs. The present study was conducted to assess farmers' perceptions, constraints, and suggestions regarding the scheme. A multistage sampling approach was used to select 360 RBS beneficiaries from nine districts, categorized by paddy productivity and the number of beneficiaries under the scheme in each district. Data were analyzed using the Garrett Ranking Technique and descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that the majority of farmers perceived the scheme as beneficial, particularly for facilitating timely input purchases and reducing dependence on private borrowing. Timely procurement of inputs ranked highest among perceived benefits, followed by reduced informal credit usage and moderate improvements in income and production. However, major constraints included the inadequacy of the assistance amount, delays in phased disbursement, which particularly affected large farmers, and the exclusion of tenant farmers and actual cultivators. Minor issues such as discrepancies in land records and procedural delays were also reported. Farmers suggested increasing the scheme amount, revising eligibility through landholding caps, including tenant farmers, and ensuring earlier disbursement before the sowing season. They also recommended merging support with input subsidies, MSP, and other support schemes. These findings provide actionable insights to inform more inclusive and effective implementation of agricultural DBT schemes.