BRS leader T. Harish Rao
| Photo Credit: file
HYDERABAD
BRS MLA and former Minister T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress Government of conspiring to scrap investment support to farmers under Rythu Bandhu or Bharosa programme for two crop seasons every year, if the comments of Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao that farmers are preferring ₹500 per quintal bonus for fine varieties of paddy over Rythu Bharosa are any indication.
Reacting to the Agriculture Minister’s comments, Mr. Harish Rao said on Saturday that even the United Nations had complimented the investment support extended to farmers under Rythu Bandhu introduced by the BRS government.
Of the estimated 1.53 crore tonnes of paddy production for the kharif season, the State Government had so far procured nearly 5.2 lakh quintals of fine varieties of paddy with farmers getting about ₹26 crore as bonus at the rate of ₹500 per quintal. The investment support promised by the Congress under Rythu Bharosa was ₹7,500 per acre per crop season.
He sought to know how the bonus being given to fine varieties of paddy was better than investment support. The Congress Government had also deceived farmers on ₹2 lakh crop loan waiver as it was given only to half of the farmers having outstanding dues to banks even a year after coming to power. Similarly, a bonus was promised to all crops but when it came for implementation, it was being given only to fine varieties of paddy.
Not only farmers, even farm workers were deceived by the Congress Government as it had failed to keep the promise of ₹12,000 per annum assistance to them. He demanded that the government clear dues of Rythu Bharosa for kharif and pay it for rabi before taking any decision.
Published – November 30, 2024 07:06 pm IST
