Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K. T. Rama Rao on 27 September 2026 raised alarm over widespread crop damage across the erstwhile Palamuru (Mahabubnagar) district in Telangana, claiming more than 40 per cent of crops had been destroyed despite water being available in the Krishna and Godavari rivers. Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, made the claim after visiting Deshitikyal village in Nagarkurnool mandal, where he inspected cotton and maize fields and met distressed farmers.

What Farmers Told KTR

According to Rama Rao, farmers stopped him on the road while he was returning to Hyderabad after attending a programme in Kollapur, requesting him to inspect their fields. Farmers reportedly told him that their crops had suffered severe damage and that they were unable to recover even their cultivation costs. They also raised concerns over inadequate irrigation and power supply.

The condition of cotton and maize crops, Rama Rao said, clearly indicated the scale of the damage. He alleged that the Telangana government was not operating the Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Rangareddy irrigation projects to their full potential, causing water to remain unavailable at the farm level despite river flows.

Key Demands Raised

Rama Rao demanded that the state government immediately conduct a comprehensive crop-loss survey across the erstwhile Palamuru district and provide compensation to all affected farmers. He specifically called for a special relief package for farmers who had invested through loans or pledged gold to finance their crop cycles. He assured farmers that BRS would continue to pressurise the government until adequate compensation was disbursed.

He also demanded immediate payment of pending Rythu Bharosa dues, implementation of the promised ₹15,000 per acre assistance, completion of the ₹2 lakh farm loan waiver, restoration of Rythu Bima, and clear timelines for irrigation works from Malkapet to Upper Manair.

Sircilla: Open Letter to Chief Minister

Separately, Rama Rao — who is the MLA from Sircilla — welcomed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's visit to Sircilla but said the Chief Minister must answer people's problems rather than engage in political criticism. He issued an open letter to Reddy demanding a white paper on the allegation that 8,000 acres of government land had been encroached upon in Sircilla, of which 2,400 acres had reportedly been recovered. Rama Rao called on the government to disclose complete details — including mandal, village, survey numbers, land extent, and names of those involved — or apologise to the people of Sircilla if the allegations cannot be substantiated.

Weavers' Concerns in Sircilla

KTR also flagged the plight of weavers in Sircilla, alleging that the Congress government had stopped government orders for Bathukamma sarees, school uniforms, KCR Kits, and Ramzan and Christmas gift packs that the previous BRS government had used to sustain weaver employment. He demanded payment of pending ₹60 crore dues to weavers, restoration of the 10 per cent yarn subsidy, and revival of the ₹5 lakh Weaver Insurance scheme.

He further demanded full operationalisation of the Apparel Park and the 88-acre Weaving Park in Sircilla, along with fresh industrial investment and clear timelines for allotting sheds and creating employment. Nearly three years into power, Rama Rao said, the Congress government had failed to fulfil its promises to both farmers and weavers. How the state government responds to these demands will be closely watched in the run-up to the next political cycle in Telangana.