SANGAREDDY: Furious over YS Sharmila's remarks about the 'plight' of farmers in Telangana, Finance Minister T Harish Rao asked the new entrant in the State’s political scene to show him a single government in the country which is working for their welfare.
He said that farmers in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and most other States have not been receiving a single paisa from their governments, barring the funds that they get from the Centre. But the Telangana government has been giving its farmers Rs 10,000 per acre every year under its crop investment assistance scheme, which is over and above the Centre's support.
On Wednesday, Harish toured Sangareddy constituency and inaugurated Rythu Vedikas at Kandi, Chidruppa and Pothireddypally. Speaking at Pothireddypally, he indirectly countered Sharmila, who had recently asked: "Are farmers happy in Telangana?" To this, he said, "Do they have any understanding? Are you talking about spending on farmers' welfare in Telangana? Are you aware of the budget?"
Taking potshots at N Kiran Kumar Reddy, he said that the former Chief Minister had once remarked that there would be darkness if Telangana State is formed, but today his political life is in darkness. Harish said the farmers' lives improved after Telangana was formed. "Under Rythu Bandhu, Rs 700 crore has been spent in Sangareddy alone," he said.