Abhaya Hastam six guarantees: Mahalakshmi, Rythu…

Core facts

Abhaya Hastam ("a protective hand") is the name for the six guarantees. They were announced at the Congress "Vijayabheri" rally at Tukkuguda, near Hyderabad, on 17 September 2023.
A. Revanth Reddy was sworn in as Chief Minister on 7 December 2023. His first signature was on the six guarantees file.
Praja Palana ("people's governance"): one common form for five guarantees, collected in gram sabhas and ward sabhas from 28 December 2023 to 6 January 2024.
Praja Vani: grievance hearings at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Praja Bhavan (the renamed Pragathi Bhavan). First held as "Praja Darbar" on 8 December 2023; renamed Praja Vani on 11 December 2023 and held on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Mahalakshmi free bus travel for women, girls and transgender persons in TGSRTC non-luxury buses: from 9 December 2023 (G.O. Ms. No. 47, 8 December 2023). Ticket = "zero ticket".
Rajiv Aarogyasri cover raised from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per family: 9 December 2023.
Gruha Jyothi (free power up to 200 units a month per household) and Rs 500 LPG refill (Mahalakshmi): launched 27 February 2024 at the Secretariat.
Indiramma Indlu (houses): launched 11 March 2024 at Bhadrachalam; aid Rs 5 lakh per house.
Rythu Bharosa: Rs 12,000 per acre per year (Rs 6,000 a season) from 26 January 2025; it replaced Rythu Bandhu.
Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa: Rs 12,000 a year to landless farm-labour families, from 26 January 2025.
Rajiv Yuva Vikasam: self-employment aid for SC, ST, BC, minority youth, launched 17 March 2025.
Cheyutha = the guarantee name for social security pensions (earlier Aasara).
Budget 2026-27 (presented 20 March 2026, total Rs 3,24,234 crore): Rs 50,713 crore for the six guarantees.

Explained

1. The six guarantees as promised (September 2023)

Guarantee	What was promised
Mahalakshmi	Rs 2,500 a month to women; LPG cylinder at Rs 500; free RTC bus travel for women
Rythu Bharosa	Rs 15,000 per acre a year to farmers and tenant farmers; Rs 12,000 a year to farm labourers; Rs 500 a quintal bonus on paddy
Gruha Jyothi	Free power up to 200 units a month for every household
Indiramma Indlu	A house site and Rs 5 lakh for the houseless; a 250 square-yard house site for Telangana movement activists
Yuva Vikasam	A "Vidya Bharosa" card worth Rs 5 lakh for students; a Telangana International School in every mandal
Cheyutha	Pension of Rs 4,000 a month; Rajiv Aarogyasri health cover up to Rs 10 lakh

The party had promised to start the guarantees within 100 days of taking office.
The 2023 Assembly election result came on 3 December 2023.

2. How beneficiaries were identified: Praja Palana

One common application form covered five guarantees: Mahalakshmi, Rythu Bharosa, Gruha Jyothi, Indiramma Indlu and Cheyutha. Yuva Vikasam was not on the form.
About 1.25 crore applications came in (1,25,84,383); about 1.05 crore were for the five guarantees and the rest mostly for ration cards and other needs (official count, January 2024). The data were entered online by 17 January 2024.
A white ration card (food security card) became the usual eligibility proof for Gruha Jyothi and the Rs 500 cylinder.

3. Mahalakshmi: what was implemented

Part	Status (Oct 2026)	Key facts
Free bus travel	Implemented from 9 Dec 2023	TGSRTC Palle Velugu, Express, city ordinary and Metro Express buses; not luxury or AC buses; show proof of Telangana domicile (e.g. Aadhaar); "zero ticket"
Rs 500 LPG refill	Implemented from 27 Feb 2024	White ration card holders who applied in Praja Palana; the consumer pays the market price and the subsidy above Rs 500 is credited back to the bank account
Rs 2,500 a month to women	Announced; no statewide payment had begun by Oct 2026 (reported)	—

Outcome (Economic Survey 2026, to January 2026): about 270 crore free trips by women; estimated saving to women about Rs 9,222 crore. About 43 lakh families got the Rs 500 cylinder.
Budget 2026-27: Rs 4,305 crore for free bus travel; Rs 723 crore for the gas subsidy.

4. Gruha Jyothi

Free electricity up to 200 units a month for one domestic connection per household. If use crosses 200 units, the whole bill is payable.
Eligibility: a white ration card, Aadhaar linked to the connection, and an application in Praja Palana. Tenants are also covered.
Zero bills began on 1 March 2024. The state pays the DISCOMs (distribution companies) the amount of these bills.
About 50 lakh households a month get zero bills (Economic Survey 2026 puts it at about 53 lakh). Budget 2026-27: Rs 2,080 crore.

5. Rythu Bharosa (detail: TGP-FA-01)

Investment support of Rs 12,000 per acre a year, paid in two seasons (Vanakalam/kharif and Yasangi/rabi), only for cultivable land on the land records (now Bhu Bharati).
The promise was Rs 15,000; the cabinet fixed Rs 12,000 in January 2025.
The farm-labour part became Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa (Rs 12,000 a year to landless labour families with at least 20 days of MGNREGS work).
The paddy bonus is paid as Rs 500 a quintal on fine (sanna) varieties only, from Vanakalam 2024.

6. Indiramma Indlu

Rs 5 lakh to build a house on the beneficiary's own plot; site plus aid for the landless poor.
Paid in four stages as the house rises: Rs 1 lakh (basement), Rs 1.25 lakh (walls), Rs 1.75 lakh (slab), Rs 1 lakh (completion).
Minimum plinth about 400 square feet, with an RCC roof. The house is registered in the woman's name.
Target in the first phase: 4.5 lakh houses, i.e. 3,500 per Assembly constituency (119 × 3,500 = 4,16,500) plus a state reserve of 33,500.
Beneficiaries are approved in gram sabhas and ward sabhas. First sanction letters were given on 26 January 2025.
Budget 2026-27: Rs 5,500 crore (2025-26 allocation was Rs 12,571 crore).

7. Yuva Vikasam

Rajiv Yuva Vikasam (launched 17 March 2025): self-employment units for unemployed youth of SC, ST, BC, minority (and EBC) communities, up to Rs 4 lakh per unit, with subsidy and bank loan; target 5 lakh youth.
Rules (March 2025): one member per family; 25% of units for women; 5% for persons with disabilities; family income up to Rs 1.5 lakh (rural) and Rs 2 lakh (urban).
Sanction letters planned for 2 June 2025 were held back for re-verification; by August 2026 the scheme was reported as not yet grounded. Budget 2026-27 kept Rs 5,800 crore for it.
The Vidya Bharosa card (Rs 5 lakh) had not been launched by October 2026. Residential education is being built through Young India Integrated Residential Schools (TGP-ED-01).

8. Cheyutha

Cheyutha is the guarantee name for the social security pensions started as Aasara in 2014 (TGP-ES-01). Department: Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (SERP).
About 42 lakh pensioners in about 11 categories (old age, widows, persons with disabilities, single women, weavers, toddy tappers, beedi workers, HIV patients, filaria and dialysis patients and others).
Amounts paid (Oct 2026): Rs 2,016 a month for most categories and Rs 4,016 for persons with disabilities (rates set in 2019 and July 2023). The promised Rs 4,000 (and Rs 6,000 for persons with disabilities) had not been paid by October 2026 (reported, e.g. Telangana Today, 1 October 2026; pensioners with disabilities held a protest for the hike in June 2026, UNI). In the Assembly in March 2026 Minister Seethakka said the increase would come in phases.
Budget 2026-27: Rs 14,861 crore; 2 lakh new pensions announced. Pensions for thalassemia and sickle cell patients were reported to be announced in July 2026.
The health part of Cheyutha, Rajiv Aarogyasri up to Rs 10 lakh, has been in force since 9 December 2023 (TGP-GU-02).

9. Money for the guarantees: Budget 2026-27 (Rs crore)

Scheme	2026-27 BE	2025-26 BE
Rythu Bharosa	18,000	18,000
Cheyutha pensions	14,861	14,861
Rajiv Yuva Vikasam	5,800	—
Indiramma Indlu	5,500	12,571
Mahalakshmi bus travel	4,305	4,305
Paddy (sanna) bonus	3,500	1,800
Gruha Jyothi	2,080	2,080
Rajiv Aarogyasri	1,143	—
Rs 500 LPG refill	723	—
Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa	600	600

(BE = budget estimate. The state counts Rs 50,713 crore for the six guarantees in 2026-27, against Rs 56,083 crore in 2025-26. That total is made up of the other nine lines above; Rajiv Yuva Vikasam is budgeted under the SC, ST, BC and minority welfare departments and is not inside the Rs 50,713 crore.)

Common traps

✗ "The six guarantees were launched on 9 December 2023." ✓ Only free bus travel and Aarogyasri Rs 10 lakh began then; Gruha Jyothi and the Rs 500 cylinder began on 27 February 2024.
✗ "Gruha Jyothi gives 200 free units to every connection." ✓ Up to 200 units a month for one domestic connection of an eligible household; above 200 the full bill is paid.
✗ "Rythu Bharosa pays Rs 15,000 per acre." ✓ Rs 15,000 was promised; Rs 12,000 per acre a year is paid (from 26 January 2025).
✗ "The Rs 500 cylinder belongs to Gruha Jyothi." ✓ It is part of Mahalakshmi; Gruha Jyothi is electricity.
✗ "Indiramma Indlu was launched at Kodangal." ✓ Launched at Bhadrachalam (11 March 2024); first sanctions at Chandravancha, Kodangal constituency (26 January 2025).
✗ "Cheyutha pensions are now Rs 4,000." ✓ Rs 4,000 was promised; Rs 2,016 (Rs 4,016 for persons with disabilities) is paid as of October 2026.
✗ "Praja Palana collected forms for all six guarantees." ✓ The common form covered five; Yuva Vikasam was not on it.
✗ "Free bus travel covers all TGSRTC buses." ✓ Only non-luxury services (Palle Velugu, Express, city ordinary, Metro Express).
✗ "Telangana Rising targets USD 1 trillion by 2047." ✓ USD 1 trillion by 2034, USD 3 trillion by 2047.

Quick revision

Six guarantees = Abhaya Hastam; announced Tukkuguda, 17 Sep 2023.
CM Revanth Reddy sworn in 7 Dec 2023; Praja Palana 28 Dec 2023 – 6 Jan 2024.
Free bus (zero ticket) and Aarogyasri Rs 10 lakh: 9 Dec 2023.
Gruha Jyothi 200 units + Rs 500 LPG: 27 Feb 2024.
Indiramma Indlu: Bhadrachalam, 11 Mar 2024; Rs 5 lakh in 4 stages; 3,500 per constituency.
Rythu Bharosa Rs 12,000/acre/year + Atmiya Bharosa Rs 12,000: 26 Jan 2025.
Rajiv Yuva Vikasam: 17 Mar 2025; up to Rs 4 lakh; SC/ST/BC/minority youth.
Cheyutha = Aasara pensions; Rs 2,016 / Rs 4,016 (Oct 2026).
Budget 2026-27 (20 Mar 2026): Rs 3,24,234 crore; guarantees Rs 50,713 crore.
Telangana Rising 2047 (9 Dec 2025): USD 1 tn by 2034, USD 3 tn by 2047; CURE-PURE-RARE.

Go deeper: Deeper, Mains writing (beyond what TGPSC MPSO / ASO usually asks)

Deeper Advanced

Implemented, changed, pending. A fair summary, guarantee by guarantee (October 2026):
- In force as promised: free bus travel, Rs 500 cylinder, 200 free units, Aarogyasri Rs 10 lakh.
- In force in a changed form: Rythu Bharosa (Rs 12,000, not Rs 15,000; tenant farmers not covered separately); labourers' aid (only landless MGNREGS families); paddy bonus (fine varieties only); Indiramma Indlu (Rs 5 lakh, in phases).
- Announced, not in force: Rs 2,500 a month to women; Rs 4,000 pension; Vidya Bharosa card; Telangana International School in every mandal; the Yuva Vikasam units (launched on paper, not grounded at scale).
- Write "announced" and "implemented" separately in any answer. Government figures and opposition figures often differ; quote the source.
Fiscal weight. About 85% of the guarantee spending goes to four items: Rythu Bharosa, Cheyutha, Indiramma Indlu and Mahalakshmi. Guarantee spending is about 21% of revenue receipts in 2026-27 (24% in 2025-26 revised estimates). Spending on the guarantees in 2025-26 (revised estimates) was reported at about Rs 35,706 crore against Rs 56,083 crore budgeted (from budget documents): Rythu Bharosa and Indiramma Indlu were spent well below budget; bus travel and gas a little above.
Targeting tools.
- The white ration card (food security card) is the main filter.
- Praja Palana data became the beneficiary database (built by the Centre for Good Governance).
- Bhu Bharati land records decide Rythu Bharosa; MGNREGS job cards decide Atmiya Bharosa.
Same names, different eras. "Indiramma Indlu" was also the name of a 2006 housing scheme in united Andhra Pradesh; "Rajiv Aarogyasri" began in united AP in 2007. Telangana-era (2014–2023) names were 2BHK Dignity Housing and Aarogyasri. Read the year in a question.
Telangana Rising 2047. The government's long-term vision document was released on 9 December 2025 at the Telangana Rising Global Summit (8–9 December 2025, Bharat Future City). Goals: a USD 1 trillion economy by 2034 and USD 3 trillion by 2047. It divides the state into three zones: CURE (Core Urban Region Economy, inside the Outer Ring Road), PURE (Peri-Urban Region Economy, between ORR and the planned Regional Ring Road) and RARE (Rural Agri Region Economy). Sector policies: TGP-EP-01, TGP-EP-02.
New in Budget 2026-27 (announced): Indiramma family life insurance (Indiramma Kutumba Jeevitha Bima): Rs 5 lakh cover for the family on the death of the head of the family, about 1.15 crore families, Rs 4,000 crore. Launch was first set for 2 June 2026; on 9 June 2026 the Deputy CM announced it for 19 November 2026 (Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary). The state is to pay the whole premium.

Mains writing Mains writing

Frame: The six guarantees are a "welfare-first" model of state policy. They move money directly to households (women, farmers, the old) and depend on accurate targeting and steady state revenue.
Arguments to use:
- Direct benefit transfers and free services reduce household costs (bus travel, power, gas, health).
- Women are the main targets (bus travel, houses in women's names, LPG), which links welfare to women's mobility and work.
- Targeting (ration cards, land records, job cards) decides both fairness and cost.
- Fiscal limits shaped the final design: amounts were cut or phased (Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma Indlu) and some promises are pending.
- Long-term growth plans (Telangana Rising 2047) need capital spending, which competes with welfare spending.
Data points: Rs 50,713 crore for guarantees in 2026-27; about 270 crore free bus trips by January 2026; about 50 lakh zero-bill homes; Rs 12,000 per acre Rythu Bharosa; 4.5 lakh houses a year target.
Way forward: publish a guarantee-wise outcome dashboard; link pensions and housing to updated household data; fund guarantees from revenue, not borrowing; review eligibility (e.g. land ceilings for Rythu Bharosa) periodically.
Model opening line: "Telangana's six guarantees show both the reach and the limits of promise-led welfare: the free services began within days, while the cash transfers were redesigned or delayed by the budget."

Medha AI writes its own notes and checks them against the sources listed. Medha AI is an independent preparation service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to APPSC, TGPSC (formerly TSPSC), MPSC, UPSC or any other commission or government body.

15.1.1 Abhaya Hastam six guarantees: Mahalakshmi, Rythu Bharosa, Gruha Jyothi, Indiramma Indlu, Yuva Vikasam and Cheyutha

Download this PDF