Uttam dubs KCR’s sops as cheap political stunts

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday described the sops being announced by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao as cheap political stunts.

Addressing a largely-attended public meeting on Degree College Grounds at Tandur on the second day of Praja Chaitanya Bus Yatra, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the TRS government had neglected the farm sector during the last four years. Of an overall allocation of nearly Rs 5 lakh crore in the five budgets presented so far, not a single rupee was spent to help the farmers by procuring their produce.

He said by paying just Rs 4,000 per acre in a season, KCR was trying to make farmers forget the sufferings which they had gone through in the last four years. He said nearly 4,000 farmers committed suicide during the last four years due to the negligent attitude of KCR government. By paying Rs 4,000 per acre, KCR could not get away from the sin of ignoring poor farmers, he said.

He also alleged that the inclusion of TRS members in the Farmers' Coordination Committees was aimed at misusing the government funds.

The TPCC chief also ridiculed KCR's move to provide insurance cover for farmers. He asked as to why insurance cover was not provided from the first year itself. He said KCR's sympathy with farmers was nothing but a stunt aimed at cheating the farming community in next elections.

He said the insurance claims made by the farmers for damage in natural calamities under Kisan Bima Yojna and other schemes were not paid and the TRS government remained a mute spectator to this injustice. He also sought an explanation on the status of a crop insurance scheme claimed to have been implemented by the KCR government in the past.

Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the Congress party, after coming to power in next elections, would provide remunerative prices to farmers for their produce. Besides increasing the MSP, he said bonus would also be given for important crops.

He said as against nearly 1.07 lakh vacancies in various departments, about 12,000 vacancies had been filled so far. He said the TRS government did not conduct the DSC examinations even once to recruit the teachers. He said the Congress government would create lakhs of jobs and would provide a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to all unemployed youth.

Earlier, Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with other Congress leaders reached Tandur from Chevella in a huge convoy and travelling in the bus of Praja Chaitanya Yatra. All top leaders of Congress party were seated in the same bus.

Top leaders including R C Khuntia, K Jana Reddy, Shabbir Ali, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, S Jaipa Reddy, V Hanumantha Rao, Rammohan Reddy, A Revanth Reddy, Akula Lalitha, Danam Nagender and others participated in the Yatra.