Telangana Agriculture Department seeks probe into unauthorised Rythu Bharosa SMS
Director of Agriculture B Gopi has requested the Cyber Crime Wing to investigate messages sent to 2.73 lakh farmers regarding fund releases.
Approximately 2.73 lakh farmers in Telangana received SMS messages on Wednesday morning claiming that Rythu Bharosa funds had been released, according to BusinessLine.
Director of Agriculture B Gopi stated that the Agriculture Department neither initiated nor authorised these messages. Under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, farmers receive ₹6,000 each for the kharif and rabi seasons to purchase inputs.
In a statement on Wednesday, Gopi said the department confirmed it had not sent the messages after discussions with technical agencies. He noted that the department uses the CDAC SMS Service Portal for official communication.
Gopi wrote to the Director General of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, suggesting there may have been unauthorised access or misuse of the department's name. He requested an investigation to trace the source, origin, and the entity responsible for the messages.
The Director of Agriculture also asked the police to examine if the CDAC SMS Service Portal or any other SMS gateway was misused. He requested the tracing of technical details, including transmission logs and IP addresses, to take legal action.
Gopi said the matter is of serious concern because unauthorised messages could create confusion among farmers and affect the credibility of the department and the Rythu Bharosa scheme.