Telangana Congress alleges diversion of Rythu Bandhu funds

Hyderabad: Alleging that the Telangana government is diverting Rythu Bandhu funds to make payments to contractors, the state Congress on Saturday urged the Election Commission of India to intervene and stop the payments.

A delegation of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders led by its president A. Revanth Reddy called on Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj to submit a memorandum addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner of India.

Stating that the model code of conduct is still in force, they requested the poll panel to intervene and stop the state government from taking steps in violation of the same.

The TPCC chief alleged that since the Election Commission did not permit disbursements under the Rythu Bandhu, the state government is planning to disburse the same to ‘favored contractors for receiving commissions/kickbacks’.

“In the last 2 to 3 days in power, when MCC is in place, Government of Telangana is disbursing Rs 6,000 crores to selected contractors in an illegal manner,” it alleged.

The Congress leaders said the payments were being made on an out of turn basis to favour some contractors.

The Congress leaders also alleged that Dharani portal is being misused to change land title records in respect of thousands of acres of lands in Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Medchal districts surrounding Hyderabad. Stating that these were assigned lands as per previous lands records, they said the same were being transferred to ‘benamis of Chief Minister’s family members’.

Former TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy told media persons after meeting the CEO that they sought a direction to the Chief Secretary to follow due process.

They said the present BRS government should not be allowed to misuse its powers during MCC and in ‘what are likely the last 2 to 3 days of the state government’.

When asked about the State Cabinet meeting convened by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on December 4, Uttam Kumar Reddy said they were not aware why he called the meeting. “He may have called the meeting to submit his resignation to the governor,” the Congress leader remarked.

Votes polled in state Assembly elections on Thursday are set to be counted on Sunday. Most of the exit polls have given an edge to the Congress party.

However, BRS leaders claim that the party will retain power with a good majority.