Rythu Bharosa SMS to 2.73 lakh farmers sparks call for cybercrime probe

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Stating that the messages, received by farmers in some districts, were ‘unauthorised’, Director of Agriculture B Gopi has asked the Cyber Crime Wing of the Telangana Police to investigate the matter

By KV Kurmanath

Updated - November 04, 2026 at 09:27 PM. | Hyderabad

About 2.73 lakh farmers in Telangana received SMS messages on Wednesday morning saying that Rythu Bharosa funds had been released. But the Agriculture Department has said that it neither initiated nor authorised them.

Under Rythu Bharosa, farmers receive ₹6,000 each for kharif and rabi seasons for buying inputs ahead of the season.

Stating that the messages, received by farmers in some districts, were ‘unauthorised’, Director of Agriculture B Gopi has asked the Cyber Crime Wing of the Telangana Police to investigate the matter.

The department confirmed that it had not sent the messages after discussing the matter with the technical agencies concerned, he said in a statement here on Wednesday.

In a letter to the Director General of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, he said that the department had been using the CDAC SMS Service Portal for its official communication with farmers. “However, the Department has not initiated any SMS transmission of the nature referred to above,” he said.

He pointed out that there was a possibility of unauthorised access, misuse of the department’s name or misuse of SMS communication channels to send messages to farmers.

He wanted the Cyber Crime Wing to trace the source and origin of the messages and identify the agency, individual or entity responsible. He also asked it to examine whether the CDAC SMS Service Portal or any other SMS gateway had been accessed or misused without authorisation.

He also asked the police to trace technical details such as the SMS gateway, sender ID, transmission logs and related IP addresses, wherever available, and take appropriate legal action against those responsible.

“The matter is of serious concern, as such unauthorised messages may create confusion among farmers and adversely affect the credibility of the Department and the Rythu Bharosa Scheme,” he said, seeking an urgent probe.

Published on November 4, 2026

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