Congress’ six guarantees set to cost govt dearly

Hyderabad: The most attractive among the “six” guarantees which the new Chief Minister of Telangana A Revanth Reddy would sign is free travel for women in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation buses.

Sources in the state government said the RTC earns about Rs 2,500 crore annually through women passengers. If the scheme is to be implemented, the Congress dispensation will have to replenish the same amount to the corporation which is reeling under accumulated losses of Rs 6,000 crore.

The RTC, which was limping with a debt burden, started booking operational profits after the present managing director VC Sajjanar took over in August 2021. The party promised to waive up to Rs two lakh farm loan.

The BRS government had budgeted Rs 21,000 lakh crore to waive up to Rs one lakh. As per the calculation, the Congress government needs to allot at least 35,000 lakh crore for the next five years to implement the farm loan waiver. According to the state government statistics, as many as 42 lakh farmers were identified as beneficiaries during the previous regime for the crop loan waiver.

Similarly, the grand old party promised to give Rs 15,000 to farmers and Rs 12,000 to farm workers under the Rythu Bharosa guarantee scheme per acre annually. Under the BRS government's Rythu Bandhu, farmers were paid Rs 10,000 annually. The previous BRS government has paid Rs 72,000 crore under a similar scheme as Rythu Bandhu during the past five and half years, with 70 lakh farmers benefitting.

The latest instalment could not be released due to poll code. If the Congress party must implement its scheme under similar parameters, it needs nearly Rs one lakh crore in the next five years.