Govt focuses on liquor sales than ryot welfare

Nalgonda: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has recently developed a keen interest in the sale of liquor, alleges former minister and Siddipet MLA Harish Rao.

During a visit to a paddy procurement centre at Marriguda in Munugode constituency of Nalgonda district, he remarked that while the government was not questioning officials or millers on lack of paddy purchases, but was issuing memos to excise officials for not pushing liquor sales. Memos were issued to 25 circle inspectors, Rao said.

The BRS leader criticised that the government was not keeping promises (such as Rs. 2,500 to every woman and Rs 1 lakh in interest-free loans to them) made to the women during the poll campaign.

Instead, the government was flooding the state with liquor, which would play havoc with, particularly, poor households.

The CM was only interested in increasing revenue but not concerned about the welfare of people, he charged.

Rao rued that there was no discussion on whether farmers received investment support, if loans were waived, if bonuses were provided on time, or if procurement centres were established.

The government announced it would purchase 9 million metric tonnes of grain, but the current situation indicates that procurement would not even touch 4 million metric tonnes.

Middlemen from neighbouring states were descending on the state and fleecing paddy farmers with lower prices.

Swearing on the deity of Yadagirigutta Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, the CM promised a loan waiver of Rs 2 lakh for farmers, he deceived them after coming to power.

Under Revanth Reddy’s rule, farmers were suffering a lot. The government utterly failed not only in purchasing paddy but also in cotton procurement.

Rao demanded on behalf of the BRS that the Congress government fulfill its promise of Rs. 15,000 under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme for farmers.