Centre vengeful against TS: BRS

Hanumakonda: Accusing the BJP-led Central government of being vengeful against Telangana, the BRS cadres staged Maha Dharna under the aegis of MLC Kadiyam Srihari at Ekasila Park here on Friday.

The protest comes in the wake of Centre's dictum to Telangana to pay back Rs 151 crore spent under MGNREGS for construction of crop drying platforms (kallalu).

Speaking at the protest, Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar criticised the Centre for its anti-farmer policies. "The Centre has been carrying out a misinformation campaign, alleging that Telangana had diverted MGNREGS funds. The Centre is not ready to accept the Rs 151 crore spent for the construction of crop drying platforms in the State. This is nothing but a vindictive approach of the Centre towards Telangana," Vinay said.

Even though the State government has been demanding to link agriculture to the MGNREGS, the Centre has other ideas to shelve the scheme completely, he said.

Battling famine over the decades, Telangana has indeed emerged as the rice bowl of the country due to the proactive measures taken by the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, 24-hour free power supply are some of the initiatives implemented by the KCR government. On the other hand, the Centre is making life miserable for the farmers with its policies such as fixing meters to the agriculture pump sets, Vinay said.

Kadiyam Srihari said that Telangana government has been spending crores of rupees on irrigation and other facilities to make agriculture viable. Farmers who struggled in the united Andhra Pradesh have now become self-sufficient owing to the measures taken by the BRS government, he said.

"While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hobnobbing with the corporate and capitalists, KCR works for farmers' welfare," Srihari said.

Instead of bailing out the farming sector, Modi had benefited business honchos by writing off their loans, Srihari said. He advised the BJP State leaders to fight for the cause of Telangana instead of resorting to mudslinging at the State government. Greater Warangal Mayor Gundu Sudharani, MLAs Thatikonda Rajaiah, V Sathish Kumar, ZP chairman M Sudhir Kumar, Farmers Debt Relief Commission chairman Nagurla Venkateshwarlu, KUDA S Sundar Raj Yadav, Marri Yadava Reddy and Lingampally Kishan Rao were among others present.