Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Tenant Farmers Seek Protection Through Changes to Telangana Cultivators’ Act
Tenant farmers rent land from owners and do the actual farming.
Many of them cannot get government help because they are not officially recorded as cultivators.
The proposed changes would connect them with the Agriculture department instead of the Revenue department.
Groups of tenant farmers could then apply for bank crop loans.
They could also receive compensation when crops are damaged.
Tenant farmers might become eligible for subsidies, crop insurance and other schemes.
Supporters say this would help farmers without creating liability for landowners.
The proposal is still a change being considered, not a completed law.
Proposed changes to Telangana’s Licensed Cultivators’ Act 2011 would shift tenant-farmer oversight to the Agriculture department.
Joint liability groups could help tenant farmers obtain crop loans using government-issued loan eligibility cards.
The changes could make tenant farmers eligible for crop-loss compensation, subsidies, insurance and other welfare schemes.
Adilabad has an estimated 28,763 tenant farmers, while the erstwhile district had about 1,17,000.
Tenant farmers’ groups say landowners often receive government benefits despite tenants bearing cultivation costs and crop-loss risks.
- Who
- Tenant farmers, tenant-farmer organisations, landowners and the Telangana government are involved.
- What
- The government is expected to propose changes to the Licensed Cultivators’ Act 2011 to improve tenant farmers’ access to credit and benefits.
- When
- The existing law is from 2011; the articles do not specify when the proposed changes will take effect.
- Where
- The proposal concerns Telangana, with specific estimates and examples from Adilabad district.
- Why
- Tenant farmers’ organisations want protection for farmers who cultivate leased land but often cannot access loans, compensation, subsidies or insurance.
Tenant Farmers and Advocates
Landowners and Liability Concerns
Access to government benefits
Tenant Farmers and Advocates
Tenant-farmer organisations say the actual cultivators should receive crop-loss compensation, crop-loan waivers, crop insurance and other benefits.
Landowners and Liability Concerns
The proposed arrangement is intended to let tenant farmers receive support without affecting landowners’ rights or creating liability for their land.
Official recognition
Tenant Farmers and Advocates
Tenant-farmer groups want legal security and formal recognition so they can borrow money and receive assistance for cultivating leased land.
Landowners and Liability Concerns
The previous government removed cultivators’ names from the 16th column of the pahani and stated that it would recognise only landowners’ rights.
Responsibility for cultivation risks
Tenant Farmers and Advocates
Advocates say tenant farmers bear lease costs, cultivation expenses and much of the risk from crop losses, with many debt-related farmer suicides involving tenants.
Landowners and Liability Concerns
Landowners retain the land and, according to the article, often receive government benefits while tenant-farmer rights remain unresolved.
- Existing law
- Bhoo Adhikrutha Sagudarula Chattam, or Licensed Cultivators’ Act 2011
- Tenant farmers in Adilabad
- An estimated 28,763
- Tenant farmers in erstwhile Adilabad district
- About 1,17,000
- Estimated tenant farmers statewide
- About 15 lakh
- Proposed institutional link
- Tenant farmers would be connected with the Agriculture department rather than the Revenue department.
- Potential support
- Crop loans, crop-loss compensation, subsidies, crop insurance and other welfare schemes
- Example lease cost
- Farmer Edla Venkanna said he pays ₹22,000 per acre annually for six leased acres in Adilabad mandal.