Congress dubs RBS a poll gimmick

​Hyderabad: Launching a scathing attack on TRS government, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Rythu Bandhu scheme was nothing but an election gimmick by the ruling TRS, and financial assistance of Rs 8,000 per acre would not help farmers. Instead, Uttam demanded that Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all agriculture produce be increased by 25 per cent immediately.

 Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, Uttam strongly condemned the TRS government spending crores of rupees on advertisements regarding Rythu Bandhu scheme. 

“Full-page advertisements have been published in newspapers of Rajasthan, Karnataka and other States on the occasion of launch of Rythu Bandhu scheme. In what way these advertisements will benefit farmers of Telangana? This is nothing but waste of public money belonging to people of Telangana,” opined Uttam. The TPCC president said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who was responsible for suicides of over 4,000 farmers in the last four years was wasting public money in the name of benefit to farmers. 

“TRS government did not pay compensation of Rs 6 lakh under GO 421 to any of the families of farmers who committed suicide. Further, KCR had no time meet the bereaved families,” he said.  Stating that Chief Minister did not honour the commitment which he gave on the floor of Assembly that government would pay the interest amount that got accumulated due to split of crop loan waiver amount in four instalments, Uttam added that although a budget of Rs 6.75 lakh crore was presented and another Rs 2.5 lakh crore of loans were borrowed in the last four years, not a single rupee was spent to provide remunerative prices for agriculture produce. 

“Having remained in slumber for four years, KCR woke up in the election year and now trying to act as farmer-friendly,” he alleged.  He also pointed out the farmers who lost their crops due to natural calamities were yet to get assistance from the Centre. 

 Stating that TRS government has become a curse to farming community, Uttam said that instead of taking corrective measures to help farmers in distress, the KCR government was playing gimmicks ahead of polls. 

“If TRS government is sincere towards farmers issues, then in addition to the existing MSP, it should pay an additional 25 per cent of MSP on all crops. It should also pass a resolution demanding the Central government to increase the MSP by at least 25 per cent,” demanded the TPCC chief. 

Reminding that the previous Congress-led UPA regime had waived crop loans in a single take, Uttam said similarly, after coming to power in next elections, the Congress government would waive crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh in a single take besides revising MSP for all crops and paying the premium for crop insurance. 

Leader of Opposition in Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, TPCC former president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Kisan Cell chairman M Kodanda Reddy, MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and others attended the press meet.