Terming the BRS government’s flagship scheme Rythu Bandhu and the round-the-clock free power supply to the agriculture sector as path-breaking pro-farmer initiatives, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao accused Congress leaders of adopting an “anti-farmer” stand that is detrimental to the interests of farmers in the State.
“The Rythu Bandhu investment support scheme earned praise from renowned agricultural scientist the late M.S. Swaminathan and the United Nations,” he noted, saying that the scheme was conceived by him in 2018 to provide timely financial assistance to farmers and alleviate agrarian distress.
“If by mistake the Congress is elected, Rythu Bandhu and the 24x7 free power supply to the farm sector will come to an end,” he said while addressing an election meeting at Jeellacheruvu village in Palair Assembly constituency of Khammam district on Friday afternoon.
The farmer-centric schemes coupled with the expansion of irrigation facilities enabled the farmers of Telangana to produce a record paddy of 3 crore tonne per annum, the highest paddy harvest, next only to Punjab, in the country, he said.
The Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation Scheme (BRLIS) facilitated assured irrigation to the upland areas of Palair constituency. Works on the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project (SLIP) are progressing at a brisk pace and once completed, it will help augment irrigation in the old undivided Khammam district.
Tummala flayed
Taking a swipe at his former cabinet colleague Tummala Nageswara Rao, who joined the Congress recently, the BRS supremo alleged that Mr. Nageswara Rao was resorting to false propaganda against the BRS government.
“I have made him an MLC and a Minister after his defeat in the 2014 Assembly elections from Khammam segment, considering old friendship. In the subsequent by-elections to the Palair Assembly segment, our party workers vigorously campaigned for him leading to his victory,” Mr. Rao said.
“Mr. Nageswara Rao had miserably failed to live up to the party’s expectations,” he said, referring to the dismal performance of the BRS in the erstwhile composite Khammam district in the 2018 Assembly elections and the defeat of Mr. Nageswara Rao from the Palair constituency.
In an oblique reference to former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who switched over to the Congress a few months ago, Mr. Rao said, “Some opportunistic elements are trying to win the elections by banking on money power. People should teach a fitting lesson to such elements at the hustings,” he said.
Mr. Rao announced that Dalit Bandhu will be implemented in the entire Palair constituency on the lines of the Sattupalli segment after BRS comes to power for the third consecutive term. He reiterated that all the promises made in the party’s election manifesto for 2023, including enhancing the Aasara pension and phased increase in Rythu Bandhu investment assistance, will be implemented soon after returning to power.
Palair MLA K. Upender Reddy, who is seeking re-election from the constituency, and a host of other BRS leaders, also spoke.
