Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 30 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday announced that the state government would deposit Rs 9000 crore in the farmers' accounts in nine days under the Rythu Bharosa scheme.
In view of prevailing drought conditions due to deficit rainfall, the Chief Minister appealed to the farmers to cultivate high-yielding seven paddy varieties prescribed by the state government in the difficult conditions.
Addressing a public meeting after releasing Rythu Bharosa funds in the farmers' accounts today, the CM said adequate funds are made available for Rythu Bharosa and also fine variety paddy seeds at 'Rythu Vedikas' (farmers' platforms).
According to an official release from the Telangana Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Chief Minister exposed the "misdeeds" committed by the last government and explained the welfare of the farmers in the last 30 months.
"The People's government waived Rs 20,000 crores of loans of 25.35 lakh farmers. Immediately upon assuming office, we paid Rs 7,000 crore under the 'Rythu Bharosa' scheme and also cleared the outstanding dues left by the previous administration at the Civil Supplies Corporation in 2023. We increased the 'Rythu Bharosa' amount to Rs 12,000 and have deposited Rs 27,000 crore into farmers' accounts so far. In all, we paid a total of Rs 36,000 crore under 'Rythu Bharosa'. So far, we have spent Rs 1,75,000 crore for farmers. We have been spending Rs 6,000 crore per month on farmers' welfare. The previous BRS government spent only Rs 2000 per month," the CM said as per the release.
Further, CM Revanth Reddy claimed it was Congress that pioneered free power supply to the farmers. Free electricity is the Congress party's signature initiative. Former CM of the erstwhile AP YS Rajasekhara Reddy, signed orders to waive electricity arrears alongside implementing free electricity on the day of his assuming the CM office, the release said.
The Chief Minister took strong exception to the BRS statement on the free power supply. The CM warned that women will beat the BRS leaders with brooms for claiming "free electricity is theirs". So far, the government has spent Rs 30,000 on free power supply, Rs 4,000 crore on the bonus for fine-variety paddy and Rs 3,500 crore on farmer insurance.
The Chief Minister challenged the BRS for a special Assembly session on farmers' issues and debated what the last government achieved in ten years and what the present government accomplished in two and a half years. Since assuming office on December 7, 2023, the government has been making every effort to transform agriculture into a celebration and ensure farmers live with self-respect.
As per the CMO, CM Revanth Reddy took a broadside at the KCR regime for leaving the financially flourishing Telangana in a "debt-ridden state."
"The total debt incurred by Telangana--accumulated from the tenures of leaders - Prakasam Pantulu, Bezawada Gopala Reddy, and Burgula Ramakrishna Rao to Kiran Kumar Reddy--was only at Rs 69,000 crore. When Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014, the outstanding debt stood at only Rs 69,000 crore. The state debt reached Rs 8,11,000 crore by the time the people's government was sworn in on December 7, 2023," the release said.
"The KCR family alone incurred a debt of over Rs 7 lakh crore, plunging the state deep into a debt trap", the Chief Minister charged. After the Congress came to power, we unearthed massive debts through borrowings from every source by the previous government. The state was left in a pathetic condition where the government employees' salaries were paid in instalments during the BRS rule. Now, the Congress government was paying salaries promptly despite facing financial challenges," he said.
The Chief Minister castigated the KCR government for "not paying" dues for the school children's uniforms and other bills. Hundreds of crores in dues were owed to Sarpanches, and some of them committed suicide. Sarpanches, MPTCs, and ZPTCs staged protests.
"We cannot simply wear a sherwani and call ourselves Nawabs. We are not Nawabs. We are paupers," he said. Payments were not made to the women of self-help groups who cooked meals for school children. Mess charges and cosmetic allowances were not provided to students living in hostels. We restored dignity in society and are steering a devastated Telangana towards progress, the CM remarked.
Continuing the tirade against KCR, CM Revanth Reddy said the last government failed to waive farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh, did not provide three acres of land to Dalits and did not provide irrigation facilities to one crore acres. Despite spending Rs 1.02 lakh crore on Kaleshwaram, it collapsed within two years, turning into 'Kuleshwaram' (a ruined structure). Even without a single drop of water from Kaleshwaram over three years, Telangana farmers produced 2.8 crore metric tonnes of paddy.
"KCR also destroyed existing cultures and fostered a culture of alcoholism. While we introduced 'Rythu Bazaars' (farmers' markets), KCR introduced 'Belt Shops' (illegal liquor outlets). KCR has turned even the children into drunkards, the CM said, appealing to KCR to stop spinning tall claims. The people of Telangana already relegated KCR to the farmhouse. No one wanted KCR to return to power. The CM stated that the previous BRS left behind arrears amounting to Rs 8,000 crore owed to retired employees. Under Congress rule, the RTC has turned a profit of Rs 1,000 crore and also brought Singareni into profitability. We are also resolving issues by scrapping 'Dharani' and introducing 'Bhu-Bharathi'.
As per a release, the CM warned that if KCR returns to power, the BRS leader will do nothing but listen to the private conversations between husbands and wives. One should be ashamed to listen in on the conversations between a husband and wife. Evan KCR's own daughter mentioned hearing her parents' private conversations. It seems the Kalvakuntla family is under a curse where telling a single truth would cause their heads to shatter into a thousand pieces.
"I have already detained Pashupati in the farmhouse like the demon in the movie Arundhati," he said.
The Chief Minister took a strong dig at BJP national President Nithin Nabi's comments that the BJP will come to power in Telangana in the next elections. "PM Modi promised to deposit Rs 15 lakhs into every poor person's account and pledged to provide 2 crore jobs annually. 24 crore jobs should have been created. Did that happen? In Telangana, [the BJP] gave positions only to Bandi Sanjay and Kishan Reddy," the CM said.
CM Revanth Reddy took a swipe at the BRS leaders for demanding resignation and dissolving the government. "This government is not a 'Gadi Palana or Dora's property' to resign", the Chief Minister said that he will not run a government built on a foundation of lies. The Musi rejuvenation project, Regional Ring roads and Metro Rail expansion would be taken up against all odds created by the opposition.
According to the release, the CM highlighted that his government was providing free bus travel for women on RTC buses and had paid Rs 11,000 crore to the RTC so far. Women's groups were made the owners of 1,000 buses, facilitated to set up 1,000-megawatt solar plants by women's self-help groups and also petrol bunks capable of competing with Reliance. Allocated land worth Rs 1,000 crore at Shilparamam for stalls run by women's self-help groups. "We have provided 70,000 jobs in the last 30 months," the CM said.
The CM questioned the BRS for opposing the notification to fill 5000 posts in the police department.
"I have no desire to wear crowns or amass vast wealth and jewels; power is not permanent", the Chief Minister said. Quality 'Bathukamma' sarees were provided. It is the farmers' responsibility to safeguard this government, the CM said. (ANI)
