Reduction in Assured Aid to Farmers Strengthens Opposition's Stance in Telangana

Hyderabad, Jan 5 (NationPress) The Congress government's choice to reduce the assured investment support to farmers through Rythu Bharosa is poised to empower opposition parties, which have labeled this action as a betrayal of the farming community.

Both the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intend to initiate protests and intensify their critique of the ruling party for allegedly reneging on one of its commitments.

The opposition has expressed concerns that the Congress government is attempting to impose conditions to restrict farmers' access to aid under Rythu Bharosa.

However, during its meeting on Saturday, the state Cabinet resolved to provide financial aid of Rs 12,000 per acre starting January 26 for all cultivable lands without any stipulations. This amount is Rs 3,000 less than what was pledged by the Congress party during the November 2023 Assembly elections.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy explained that financial constraints necessitated the reduction in promised support. Nonetheless, he noted that this aid is still Rs 2,000 more than what the BRS government was offering farmers under Rythu Bandhu.

Both BRS and BJP have condemned the Congress government's decision as a betrayal of farmers.

"The Congress is synonymous with fraud and deceit," asserted BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, labeling Chief Minister Reddy as a traitor to farmers.

He criticized the much-publicized Warangal Rythu Declaration and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's commitments to farmers as hollow.

"The declaration has turned into deception, and guarantees have morphed into fantasies within a year of Congress governance in Telangana. Rahul Gandhi has once again betrayed farmers," remarked BJP leader Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

"This isn't assistance—it's outright humiliation of farmers. The Congress thrives on lies, betrayal, and unfulfilled promises. Farmers in Telangana placed their trust in Rahul Gandhi & Congress, only to have it turned into a cruel joke. Enough of this fraud! Farmers of Telangana will never forgive this betrayal," Bandi Sanjay expressed on 'X'.

At a public gathering in Warangal on May 6, 2022, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi unveiled the Rythu Declaration, which included a Rs 2 lakh loan waiver and Rs 15,000 direct benefit per acre annually.

These commitments were part of the six guarantees announced by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at a public meeting in Hyderabad on September 17, 2023.

In 2018, the previous BRS government launched Rythu Bandhu. Under this program, farmers were receiving Rs.10,000 as investment support per acre annually.

Approximately 65 lakh farmers were benefiting in two equal installments across two crop seasons (Khariff and Rabi). The BRS administration was allocating around Rs.16,000 crore annually and claimed to have disbursed over Rs 72,000 crore in ten crop seasons.

Since tenant farmers were not included in Rythu Bandhu, the Congress party pledged to include them under Rythu Bharosa. There are about 17 lakh tenant farmers in the state.

During the Assembly elections, BRS also promised that the investment support under Rythu Bandhu would be gradually increased to Rs 15,000, with an initial raise to Rs 12,000 in the first year.

Since Congress assumed power in December 2023, it has faced pressure from the opposition to fulfill its commitment to implement six guarantees within 100 days.

The opposition alleges that even after one year, the guarantees remain unmet, while the government contends that it has already implemented several promises and is working on the rest.

Both BRS and BJP challenge the government's assertion that all farm loans up to Rs.2 lakh have been waived, stating that many farmers are still waiting for the loan waiver. The government claims it has waived farm loans for 25 lakh farmers by crediting over Rs 21,000 crore directly into their accounts.

The opposition argues that the Congress promised a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy in addition to the MSP, but after taking office, the bonus was limited to only a fine variety of rice.

Chief Minister Reddy attributed the delays in fulfilling guarantees to the empty coffers inherited by the Congress government.

He noted that on June 2, 2014, when Telangana was established, the state had a surplus budget of Rs 16,000 crore, while its debts stood at Rs. 69,000 crore. However, after the BRS was removed from power following ten years, debts soared to Rs 7.5 lakh crore. The state is repaying Rs 6,500 crore monthly.

The Chief Minister recently acknowledged that the state's monthly revenue of approximately Rs 18,500 crore is insufficient to meet its obligations, and the state requires at least Rs. 30,000 crore per month to fulfill all its commitments.

The Chief Minister claimed that immediately after taking office, his government disbursed Rs 7,625 crore to farmers under Rythu Bandhu that had been pending from the previous administration.

Just two days after assuming office, the Congress government initiated free bus rides for women in State Road Transport Corporation buses and also increased annual coverage under Rajiv Arogyasri, a health insurance program for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

In 2023, the government fulfilled several more promises, including a farm loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh, providing 200 units of free electricity to each household, and offering cooking gas cylinders for Rs.500 for BPL families.

While announcing the launch of 'Rythu Bharosa' after the Cabinet meeting on Saturday, the Chief Minister also stated that the government would provide Rs 12,000 per year to landless laborers. This initiative will be named 'Indiramma Athmeeya Bharosa'.

The Cabinet also resolved to issue new ration cards for all eligible families. All three programs will be initiated from January 26 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption.