Imitation best form of flattery: KTR

Hyderabad, Feb 1 (IANS) Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Friday reacted to the Centre announcing a direct cash transfer scheme for farmers on the lines of the state’s "Rythu Bandhu" scheme.

Rama Rao, son of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrshekhar Rao, tweeted that he is "glad that the farmers of India are going to be helped by the Rythu Bandhu", the brainchild of KCR.

While presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojna to provide income support to small farmers.

Under this scheme, every farmer owning less than two hectares of land will get Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments.

"The name may have been changed by the NDA government, in spirit it remains the trimmed version of the ‘Rythu Bandhu’. Jai Kisan," added Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR.

Under the scheme, farmers in Telangana irrespective of their land holding are getting Rs 8,000 per acre annually, at the rate of Rs 4,000 per acre per crop.