Hyderabad: Accusing the ruling Congress of backtracking on its election promise, the opposition TDP (Telugu Desam Party) members today (July 22, 2004) sought to corner the Government for what it called `diluting' the subsidy for sprinkler and drip irrigation equipment being given to farmers in the State.

Though the Congress' manifesto had promised to provide 90 per cent subsidy on micro-irrigation equipment, it was now going back on it and restricting the subsidy to 50 per cent, the TDP deputy floor leader T Devender Goud alleged during Question Hour.

Replying to the main question, the State Agriculture Minister N Raguveera Reddy said that 90 per cent subsidy would be provided for bio-diesel plantations in all drought-prone areas as part of initiatives to effectively utilise the limited water resources.

In the rest of the State, 50 per cent subsidy would be given to other crops, the Minister said, evoking protests from the opposition benches with TDP members charging the Government with diluting the policy.

The opposition members wanted to know when the Government would clear the pending applications from farmers seeking subsidy under micro-irrigation project.

Out of 2.4 lakh applications received from farmers seeking subsidy, as many as 26,078 cases were grounded and about 7,000 were rejected various grounds while 1.08 lakh applications were still pending, the Minister said.