The Congress government in Telangana will implement a key promise with the implementation of the Rythu Bharosa scheme after Sankranthi, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced on Sunday.
He told a news conference that the financial assistance under the scheme will be credited into the bank accounts of farmers after the festival.
Appealing to people not to believe the rumours being spread by opposition parties, he said that Rythu Bharosa is a guarantee given by Sonia Gandhi and it would be definitely implemented.
Under Rythu Bharosa, the Congress had promised annual financial assistance of Rs.15,000 per acre for farmers against Rs.10,000 being given now under Rythu Bandhu, which was launched by the previous government of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
The Chief Minister said the report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka will be discussed in the Assembly before finalising the modalities for Rythu Bharosa.
Revanth Reddy said the Congress would fulfil this promise the way it fulfilled the promise of crop loan waiver of up to Rs.2 lakh.
He stated that on June 2, 2014, when Telangana state was formed, the state had Rs 16,000 crore surplus budget while its debts were only Rs 69,000 crore but when the BRS was ousted from power after 10 years, the debts amounted to Rs 7.5 lakh crore. The state is now repaying Rs 6,500 crore every month.
He recalled that after coming to power on December 7, 2023, the Congress government presented a white paper on the state’s finances in the Assembly to place facts before the people.
He claimed that despite the huge debt burden inherited by it, the Congress government tried to provide effective governance and implement the promises.
The Chief Minister said immediately after coming to power, his government paid Rs.7,625 crore to farmers under Rythu Bandhu which was kept pending by the previous government.
He mentioned that the Congress government fulfilled its promise to waive crop loans of up to Rs.2 lakh. It has so far waived crop loans of Rs 20,616 crore, benefiting 25.35 lakh farmers, he said and claimed that no state government in independent India has waived such a huge amount of loans in a short period.
Alleging that the BRS government betrayed farmers for 10 years over loan waiver, he claimed that from the times of Jawaharlal Nehru to today, farmers have been the first priority of the Congress party.
Revanth Reddy said the state government was supporting farmers by implementing a farm loan waiver scheme, free electricity, subsidised fertilisers, minimum support price and an employment guarantee scheme.
He alleged that some political forces created misconceptions about the bonus of Rs 500 being paid by his government to farmers for fine variety paddy. Stating that the government procured 31 lakh tonnes of paddy, he announced that the bonus will also paid in the next season.
He said a fine variety of rice produced in Telangana soil will be made available to people through the public distribution system and it will also be used to provide meals to students in welfare hostels.
Hitting back at the BJP over its allegations that Congress failed to implement the promises, Revanth Reddy said he was ready for a debate on the promises made and implemented by Prime Minister Modi at the Centre and the Congress in the state.
Disputing BJP’s claim of total prohibition in Gujarat, the Chief Minister said he was ready to go to Gujarat and show liquor brands available in the BJP-ruled state.