Rythu Bandhu to Rythu Bharosa: what changed for Telangana farmers in 2026

By Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak

If you farm in Telangana, the name of the scheme that puts money into your bank account before the sowing season has changed, and so has the amount. For several years the scheme was called Rythu Bandhu. Since early 2025 the state pays the same kind of investment support under a new name, Rythu Bharosa, with a higher per-acre figure and a different set of rules about which land counts. Many farmers still search for the old name, so this page keeps both, tells you what the old scheme gave, what the new one gives, and how to check your own status without getting lost in rumours.

Rythu Bandhu was launched on 25 February 2018 by the Telangana government then led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. The idea was simple and was one of the first of its kind in India. Instead of waiting for a farmer to fall into distress and then offering a loan waiver, the state would hand over an upfront grant before each crop season so the farmer could buy seed, fertiliser, and other inputs without borrowing.

When it began, the grant was Rs 4,000 per acre per season, which came to Rs 8,000 per acre for the full year across the kharif and rabi seasons. From the kharif season of 2019 the amount was raised to Rs 5,000 per acre per season, so a farmer received Rs 10,000 per acre per year. The money was credited straight to the bank account linked to the land record.

The defining feature of Rythu Bandhu was that it followed the land title. If your name held pattadar rights in the Dharani land record, you received the grant on that acreage, and there was no upper income test. This made the scheme easy to run and quick to pay, but it drew a long-running criticism. The support went to whoever owned the land on paper, including large holders and absentee owners, while the person who worked a leased field, the tenant farmer, received nothing. Support was also paid on many parcels that were not under active cultivation.

Telangana elected a Congress government in December 2023, and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy formally launched Rythu Bharosa on 26 January 2025 as the successor to Rythu Bandhu. The scheme keeps the same core promise of season-start investment support paid by direct benefit transfer, but it changes three things that matter to your wallet.

• The amount went up. Rythu Bharosa pays Rs 6,000 per acre per season, which is Rs 12,000 per acre per year. That is Rs 1,000 more per acre per season than the old Rs 5,000 figure.
• Only cultivable land counts. Where the old scheme paid on the title as recorded, Rythu Bharosa is meant to be limited to land that is under active cultivation. The state has said it uses field and satellite verification to screen out real estate layouts, plots inside mining and industrial zones, institutional land, and areas taken for roads and canals.
• The eligible categories were redrawn. The old scheme was owner-only. Rythu Bharosa was designed to widen who benefits, and the state has announced separate support for landless farming families through a linked component rather than the main land-based payment. Because this part has been rolled out in stages, you should confirm your own category on the official portal rather than assume the old rule still applies.

Payments under Rythu Bharosa have been released season by season, often in phases that start with smaller holdings first and then extend to larger ones. This means the date your neighbour is paid may differ from yours depending on how the phase for your landholding size is scheduled.

The current rules for Rythu Bharosa point to farming families in Telangana whose land is fit for cultivation. In broad terms you may be eligible if all of the following hold true. Treat this as a guide and confirm the exact wording on the official portal, because eligibility for this scheme has been revised recently.

• You are a resident of Telangana with agricultural land recorded in your name in the Dharani portal.
• The land is classified as cultivable, not as a real estate plot, a mining or industrial parcel, or institutional land.
• Your Aadhaar is linked to the bank account where the money should land.
• Your land record details are correct and free of disputes that would stall a payment.

If you are a tenant farmer or a landless agricultural worker, the position under Rythu Bharosa is not the same as it was under the owner-only Rythu Bandhu. The state has spoken about bringing such families into support through the scheme and a linked component. Since this is the part most in flux, do not rely on hearsay. Check your category and status directly on the official portal before you conclude that you are in or out.

Under Rythu Bharosa you get Rs 6,000 per acre for each crop season, paid twice a year for the kharif and rabi seasons, which adds up to Rs 12,000 per acre per year. The money is meant to reach you before the season so you can spend it on inputs. It is credited by direct benefit transfer to the Aadhaar-linked bank account tied to your land record, so there is no cash handling and no middle office.

1. Open the official portal. Go to rythubharosa.telangana.gov.in. The older address for Rythu Bandhu may redirect here, so start from the current site.
2. Find the status or beneficiary option. Look for the status check or beneficiary list link on the home page.
3. Enter your details. You will normally search using your Aadhaar number, your bank account, or your land record identifier. Enter the detail the portal asks for.
4. Read the result carefully. The portal shows whether your acreage is recorded, whether a payment for the current season has been released, and to which account it went.
5. If something looks wrong, note it down. Record the season, the acreage shown, and any message about a pending or rejected payment. You will need these details if you raise a grievance or an RTI later.

• Your land is not showing or shows the wrong acreage. This almost always traces back to the Dharani record. Get the land record corrected first, because the payment engine reads from Dharani, not from a fresh form.
• The payment went to an old or wrong account. Check that your Aadhaar is linked to the bank account you use now. A de-linked or closed account is a frequent cause of a failed credit.
• Your parcel was screened out as non-cultivable. Rythu Bharosa is meant to skip real estate and non-farm land. If your farmed field has been wrongly marked, gather proof that it is under cultivation and take it up with the local agriculture and revenue office.
• You are a tenant and were left out. The rules for tenant and landless families have been changing. Confirm the current category on the official portal before assuming you cannot claim, and keep your lease record ready.
• A payment is delayed for your holding size. Payments often run in phases by landholding. A delay may reflect the phase schedule rather than a rejection, so check the portal for the current phase before you worry.

Consider a farmer in a Telangana village who received Rythu Bandhu for four years without any trouble. This year the season money did not arrive. The portal shows the land, but the payment status stays blank for weeks. The village talk is that tenants and small holders are being dropped, which only adds to the worry. In truth the reasons are usually narrow and fixable. The Dharani record may carry a small error, the Aadhaar may have slipped out of link with the bank account, or the parcel may sit in a later payment phase. The farmer who writes down the exact status from the portal, gets the land record checked, and then asks the office a plain question in writing tends to get a clear answer. The farmer who relies on rumour keeps waiting.

When a visit to the office and a portal check both lead nowhere, a written Right to Information request often moves the file, because the public authority then has to answer or explain in writing. Ask narrow, factual questions about your own application, such as the present status of your payment for the named season, the reason for any delay or rejection, and the likely date of credit. Keep it short and specific to your case.

• Draft it in minutes: AI RTI Drafter
• Full filing and appeal process: The RTI Playbook

Rythu Bandhu was launched in 2018 by the Government of Telangana under Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, and Rythu Bharosa was launched in 2025 by the Government of Telangana under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy as its successor. Both are state schemes of Telangana and are run by the state Agriculture Department, not by the Union government. You can see them alongside other central and state welfare schemes on the All Sarkari Yojana index 2014 to 2026.

The land-based investment support continues, but under the name Rythu Bharosa since 2025. The old Rythu Bandhu name refers to the earlier version of the same idea.

Rs 6,000 per acre per crop season, paid for the kharif and rabi seasons, which is Rs 12,000 per acre per year.

It started at Rs 4,000 per acre per season in 2018 and was raised to Rs 5,000 per acre per season from 2019, so Rs 10,000 per acre per year.

The categories were redrawn from the owner-only Rythu Bandhu. Because this part has changed in stages, confirm your current status on the official portal rather than relying on word of mouth.

Yes. Rythu Bharosa is meant to be limited to cultivable land. Real estate plots, mining and industrial parcels, and institutional land are screened out.

On the official portal at rythubharosa.telangana.gov.in, using your Aadhaar, bank account, or land record details.

• PM Kisan Samman Nidhi income support for farmers
• KALIA Yojana Odisha farmer and labourer support
• Kisan Credit Card for crop loans
• PM Fasal Bima Yojana crop insurance
• Soil Health Card for your field
• PM Kisan Maandhan pension for small farmers
• MGNREGA job card for rural work
• Ration card under the food security law
• All Sarkari Yojanas 2014 to 2026

• Government of Telangana Agriculture Department, Rythu Bharosa portal: rythubharosa.telangana.gov.in
• ClearTax, Telangana Rythu Bharosa scheme, Rs 6,000 per acre per season and eligibility
• Deccan Chronicle, Rythu Bharosa Rs 12,000 per acre per year across kharif and rabi
• Wikipedia and Swarajya, Rythu Bandhu launched 2018 at Rs 4,000 raised to Rs 5,000 in 2019
• Telangana government announcements on Rythu Bharosa launch, 26 January 2025

Last reviewed: 1 July 2026.

Rythu Bandhu (Telangana) 2026 — complete guide on status check, eligibility, payment, and RTI:

1. Step 1: What is the Rythu Bandhu scheme? (a) the Rythu Bandhu scheme — also known as the Farmer Investment Support Scheme (FISS) — was launched by the Government of Telangana — in 2018 — and is the first scheme — in India — to provide the investment support — to the farmers — per acre — per season, (b) the scheme — provides: (i) Rs 5,000 per acre — per season — (two seasons: Kharif and Rabi) — totaling Rs 10,000 per acre per year, (ii) the amount — is credited — to the bank account — of the landowner farmer — through the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), (iii) the amount — is for the agricultural investment — like the seeds, the fertilizers, the pesticides, and the labor, © the scheme — is unique — because: (i) the benefit — is per acre — not per family — or per individual, (ii) the benefit — is for the landowner — not the tenant — or the laborer, (iii) there is no income limit — or the land holding limit — for the eligibility.
2. Step 2: Who is eligible for Rythu Bandhu 2026? (a) the eligibility: (i) the farmer — must own the agricultural land — in Telangana — with the registered land records (Patta Passbook), (ii) the land — must be in the name of the farmer — in the revenue records — (Maa Bhoomi portal), (iii) the farmer — must have the active bank account — linked to the Aadhaar — and the land records, (b) the exclusion: (i) the farmers — who own the land — in the forest area — or the assigned land — without the proper title — are excluded, (ii) the farmers — who have sold the land — but the mutation — is not done — are excluded — (the benefit — goes to the registered owner — in the records), (iii) the institutional land — like the temples, the churches, the waqf — are excluded, © the tenant farmers — are NOT eligible — because the scheme — is for the landowner — and the tenant — has no land record — in the revenue records.
3. Step 3: How to check Rythu Bandhu status 2026. (a) online — through the Maa Bhoomi portal: (i) visit mabhumii.telangana.gov.in — and select the district — the mandal — and the village, (ii) enter the survey number — or the Khata number — or the Aadhaar number, (iii) check the land records — and the Rythu Bandhu — eligibility — and the payment status, (b) online — through the Rythu Bandhu portal: (i) visit rythubandhu.telangana.gov.in, (ii) enter the Aadhaar number — or the PPB (Pattadar Pass Book) number — and check the payment status, © offline: (i) visit the MRO (Mandal Revenue Officer) — or the VRO (Village Revenue Officer) — with the PPB — and check the status, (ii) the MRO/VRO — can check — on the Maa Bhoomi — and provide the status, (d) through the bank: (i) check the bank account — for the Rythu Bandhu credit, (ii) the bank statement — shows the credit — with the description — “Rythu Bandhu” — or “FISS”.
4. Step 4: Common Rythu Bandhu issues and solutions. (a) payment not received: (i) the common reasons: (a) the bank account — is not linked — to the Aadhaar — or the land records, (b) the land records — are not updated — after the purchase — or the mutation, © the PPB — is not issued — or the details — are wrong, (d) the land — is in the dispute — or the litigation, (ii) the solution: (a) update the bank account — and the Aadhaar linking, (b) update the land records — at the MRO office, © correct the PPB — at the MRO office, (d) file RTI — with the Revenue Department, (b) wrong amount: (i) the payment — is less — than the expected — because of the wrong acreage — in the records, (ii) the solution: (a) check the acreage — on the Maa Bhoomi, (b) correct the acreage — at the MRO office, © file RTI — for the correction, © name not in the list: (i) the farmer — is not in the Rythu Bandhu list — because of the wrong records — or the missing records, (ii) the solution: (a) visit the MRO — and update the records, (b) file RTI — with the Revenue Department, (d) tenant issue: (i) the tenant farmer — is not eligible — and the landowner — gets the benefit — even if the tenant — is cultivating the land, (ii) the solution: (a) the tenant — cannot get the Rythu Bandhu — under the current rules, (b) the tenant — can file RTI — to check — if the landowner — is getting the benefit — on the tenant's land.
5. Step 5: File RTI on Rythu Bandhu. File RTI with the Revenue Department (or the Agriculture Department) of Telangana asking for: (a) the payment status: “Provide the Rythu Bandhu payment status — for [name], [Aadhaar number], [PPB number] — including: (i) the land details — survey number, acreage, (ii) the eligibility — yes or no, (iii) the payment — season, amount, date, (iv) the reason — if not paid”, (b) the beneficiary list: “Provide the Rythu Bandhu beneficiary list — for the [village], [mandal], [district] — for the [season] [year] — including: (i) the names, (ii) the land details, (iii) the amount — paid, (iv) the bank account — and the credit date”, © the pending: “Provide the list — of the eligible farmers — who have not received the Rythu Bandhu — for the [season] [year] — in the [village], [mandal] — including: (i) the names, (ii) the reason — for the non-payment, (iii) the expected date — of the payment”, (d) the grievance: “Provide the grievance status — for the complaint — filed on [date] — reference number [number]”.
6. Step 6: The Telangana Revenue Department as a public authority. (a) the Revenue Department — is a public authority — under the RTI Act — and the PIOs — are at the MRO, the RDO, and the Collector offices, (b) the RTI application — can be filed: (i) at the MRO office — by hand — or by post, (ii) online — on the Telangana RTI portal — if available, (iii) the application fee — is Rs 10 — by the IPO — or the court fee stamp — or the cash, © the Agriculture Department — is also a public authority — and the PIO — is at the Commissioner of Agriculture — Hyderabad.
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) update the land records (update the land records — after the purchase — or the mutation — at the MRO office — to ensure the eligibility), (b) link the Aadhaar and the bank (link the Aadhaar — to the bank account — for the DBT — of the Rythu Bandhu), © check the Maa Bhoomi (check the Maa Bhoomi portal — regularly — for the land records — and the payment status), (d) file RTI (if the payment — is not received — file RTI — with the Revenue Department — to get the reason), (e) Example: A farmer — in Nalgonda district — did not receive the Rythu Bandhu — for the Kharif 2025 — he checked the Maa Bhoomi — and found — that the acreage — was wrong — he visited the MRO — and corrected the acreage — but the payment — was still not received — he filed RTI — with the Revenue Department — the RTI reply showed — that the bank account — was not linked — to the Aadhaar — he linked the account — and the payment — was credited — within 30 days.

See Rythu Bandhu Telangana and PM-KISAN Status.