Hyderabad: The Congress govt in Telangana will implement Rythu Bharosa scheme, a key promise, after Sankranthi, chief minister Revanth Reddy announced on Sunday.
He told a news conference that the financial assistance under the scheme will be credited into the bank accounts of farmers after the festival.
Terming the opposition BRS and BJP as ‘Marichas’ (a demon from Hindu mythology who helped Ravana kidnap Sita), Revanth said: “The opposition will masquerade as your well-wishers, but do not trust them. The Congress govt is farmer-partial and farmer-friendly. I am appealing to the farmers not to fall prey to the lies of the opposition parties. Farmers will get Rythu Bharosa after Sankranti, and I am assuring this as Sonia Gandhi’s guarantee.”
The CM said that the cabinet sub-committee, headed by deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, has almost completed the guidelines and eligibility criteria for Rythu Bharosa.
“We will discuss these guidelines and eligibility criteria in the winter session of the assembly this month and take a final decision on the number and categories of farmers who would get the Rythu Bharosa amount,” the CM said.
The CM said that the Congress has been implementing its guarantees despite the Rs 7 lakh crore debt burden it inherited, which neither financial experts nor former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, ex-finance ministers Eatala Rajender and T Harish Rao ever informed the people.
“We want to make farmers the king and agriculture a ‘panduga’ (festival). This is reflected in the top priority we give to farmers. The Congress govt implemented a Rs 21,000 crore crop loan waiver for 25 lakh farmers, extending free electricity, subsidised fertilisers, minimum support price, Rs 500 bonus and employment guarantee scheme. When the previous BRS govt did not disburse the Rythu Bandhu benefit to farmers during the 2023 monsoon, we paid Rs 7,625 crore soon after coming to power,” Revanth said.
Some political forces created misconceptions about the Rs 500 bonus promised for fine variety paddy, he said. The Congress govt is giving Rs 500 bonus and has so far procured 31 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, he said, appealing to the farmers to cultivate Telangana Sona, BPT, and HMT varieties of fine variety paddy as it would give more yield.
“Rice produced in Telangana will be procured and distributed to the people of the state itself through fair price shops. The same rice will be consumed by our poor families, students of welfare hostels, and schools,” Revanth said. On BJP’s claims that total prohibition was implemented in Gujarat, Revanth said he was ready to prove to Union minister G Kishan Reddy which liquor brands were available in BJP-ruled Gujarat.
