EC Stops Financial Aid To Farmers Under Rythu Bandhu Scheme; Congress Slams BRS On The Decision (image: twitter.com/BRSparty)
As a major setback for K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday withdrew the permission given to the Telangana government for disbursements of financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme. EC had given its approval to the government to disburse the rabi instalment during the time when model of conduct in vogue, but it stated that they should not make any public announcement about it. But the state finance minister violated the code by making public announcement concerning the release of the instalment which led to halting of the permission.
Slamming the BRS on EC”s decision, Congress on Monday accuses that it was due to their “irresponsible and narrow self-serving approach.” Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, in post on X said: “Due to the irresponsible and narrow self-serving approach of the BRS and Harish Rao, under the instructions of his boss KCR, the ECI has denied permission for the disbursement of the Rythu Bandhu instalments.”
He then added that money is the right of the farmers and they deserve it for their year-long hard work. “When this money is supposed to be released any time between October and January, it was the BRS’ desperation which compelled them to make such irresponsible statements,” he said.
While reacting to EC”s decision, BRS MLC K Kavitha attacked Congress and said: “Congress has time & again been complaining to EC about the scheme under which in the last 10 seasons the state govt has disbursed about Rs 72,000 crore to 65 lakh farmers across the state, ANI reports. She added that the scheme is not to elections at all, but an ongoing programme. The grand old party, Kavitha says, is threatened that the vote bank of farmers is with BRS, and it is trying to trouble Telangana farmers.
“This will work against Congress” she said.
Rythu Bandhu Scheme or Farmer”s Investment Support Scheme (FISS), and is a welfare programme for farmers started by the Telangana government in 2018. Through the scheme Government intend to support farmer’s investment for two crops, once for kharif harvest and once for rabi harvest, a year. As per the initiative, per season the government is providing 58.33 lakh (5.8 million) farmers ₹5000 per acre to support the farm investment. Began by KCR, it is the first direct farmer investment support scheme in India, where the cash is paid directly to the beneficiary.
