Poly House Plan Scheme (State Plan)
A state-funded top-up on top of central norms — 75% of a greenhouse's cost covered for general-category farmers, 95% for SC/ST farmers, to grow high-value vegetables and flowers off-season.
Run by: Telangana State Horticulture Department
- General category
- 75% subsidy
- SC/ST category
- 95% subsidy
- Unit size (general)
- 200 sq.m - 3 acres
- Unit size (SC/ST)
- Up to 1 acre
Overview
Telangana launched Poly House Plan as a flagship state-plan scheme in 2014-15, separate from the central National Horticulture Mission subsidy that most other states rely on alone. The idea is straightforward: a covered structure lets a farmer grow tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber or flowers out of season, when prices are highest and open-field crops cannot survive the weather, and the state picks up most of the bill so that door is not closed to a farmer without capital.
The subsidy is not flat. General-category farmers get 75% of the notified cost; SC and ST farmers get 95%, a rate raised specifically in 2016-17 to make the technology reachable for farmers who would otherwise never clear the upfront cost. Unit size runs from a modest 200 square metres up to 3 acres for general farmers, capped at 1 acre for SC/ST farmers. Construction is priced by the department at roughly ₹525 per square metre for the structure with drip and fogger fittings, plus about ₹105 per square metre for plant material and bed preparation — numbers the department uses to work out your subsidy share before you commit.
The polyhouse itself has to meet real specifications, not just be a tunnel of plastic sheet — east or south-facing orientation, built to withstand wind up to 120 km/hour, proper drainage, and soil in the 5.5-6.5 pH range before construction starts. Farmers are also expected to complete training on polyhouse cultivation practices, since the return on a covered structure depends on getting fertigation and pest management right inside it.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- 75% subsidy on polyhouse construction cost for general-category farmers, 95% for SC and ST farmers.
- Unit size from 200 square metres up to 3 acres for general farmers, up to 1 acre for SC/ST farmers.
- Construction and drip/fogger fitting costed at around ₹525 per square metre, plus ₹105 per square metre for plant material and bed preparation, so the subsidy share is known before you start.
- Year-round, off-season production of high-value vegetables and flowers, which command better prices than the same crop grown in the open in-season.
- Choice of empanelled, registered polyhouse construction companies, plus mandatory training so the structure is actually used to full potential.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Farmer or horticulture entrepreneur holding agricultural land in Telangana in their own name
- Site meets basic specifications — east/south orientation, wind resistance up to 120 km/hour, proper drainage, soil pH 5.5-6.5
- Willingness to complete the department's training on polyhouse cultivation before or shortly after construction
- Area proposed falls within the unit-size ceiling for the applicant's category
Not covered
- Construction started before receiving the department's Letter of Intent / in-principle approval
- Area beyond the 3-acre ceiling for general farmers or 1-acre ceiling for SC/ST farmers
- Sites that fail the drainage, orientation or wind-load specification
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Land ownership document (pattadar passbook)
- Aadhaar card
- Bank passbook with a live account
- Site plan / layout for the proposed polyhouse
- Passport-size photograph
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply and get in-principle approval
Apply through the Telangana Horticulture Department with your land and identity documents; construction cannot legally begin until you receive the Letter of Intent or in-principle approval — starting early disqualifies the claim.
- 2
Construction through an empanelled company
Select from the department's registered polyhouse construction companies; the structure is expected to be completed within 45 days, with at most a 15-day extension on written justification.
- 3
Inspection, training and subsidy release
After the department inspects and verifies the completed structure, and you complete the mandatory cultivation training, the subsidy share is released against your category and unit size.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For an application stuck after in-principle approval, a delay in inspection, a poor build by the empanelled company, or a subsidy not released after verification, take it up with the Horticulture Officer and the District Horticulture Officer, then the Commissioner of Horticulture, Telangana (helpline 040-23232253). Keep the Letter of Intent, the company work order and the inspection report.
- Beyond the department, lodge it on Telangana's Prajavani portal at prajavani.cgg.gov.in, or take the petition in person to Mahatma Jyothiba Phule Praja Bhavan on a Tuesday or Friday and keep the reference ID.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start building and claim the subsidy afterwards?
No. Building before you receive the Letter of Intent or in-principle approval permanently disqualifies the application — the approval has to come first.
I am a general-category farmer with half an acre. Am I too small for this scheme?
No — the minimum unit size is just 200 square metres, well under half an acre, so a small plot is eligible as long as the site meets the orientation and drainage specifications.
Does the subsidy cover only the structure, or the crop too?
It covers the structure with drip and fogger fittings, priced at about ₹525 per square metre, plus roughly ₹105 per square metre for plant material and bed preparation — not ongoing input costs after that.
Is this the same as the central National Horticulture Mission subsidy?
No. Poly House Plan is a Telangana state-plan scheme that tops the central norms up to 75% (95% for SC/ST), which is why the rate is higher here than in states that rely on the central subsidy alone.
Can I choose my own polyhouse builder?
Only from the department's empanelled, registered construction companies. The structure must be built to the notified specification and completed within about 45 days, extendable by up to 15 days with written justification.
How much do I actually have to pay upfront?
You fund your own share — 25% for general category, 5% for SC/ST — plus anything the build costs above the department's notified rate. Work it out from the ₹525 and ₹105 per square metre norms before you commit.
Facts checked against horticulture.tg.nic.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.