HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has formally accepted Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s challenge to a public debate on what the governments of the pink party and the Congress did for the welfare of farmers in Telangana.
Addressing a press conference at the BRS party office on Saturday, the former IT minister accepted the challenge, saying that he is ready for the debate ‘anywhere, anytime’ be it the Assembly, Ambedkar statue, Kondareddypalle, Chintamadaka or Kodangal, and asked Revanth to fix the date, time, and place for the same.
“If none of these suits you, I’ll be at the Somajiguda Press Club at 11 am on July 8 ready to expose the truth before the media.”
Rama Rao alleged that Revanth doesn’t even have basic knowledge of agriculture. “I am generously giving him 72 hours to prepare for the debate. Otherwise, he’ll show up and may talk about ‘basins’ and ‘okra’, making a mockery of himself and the office he holds.” “Even a bull can explain how agriculture thrived under the leadership of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao,” he remarked.
Accusing Revanth of acting as a secret ally of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the BRS working president said that Telangana’s water resources were being diverted to the neighbouring state under the guise of projects like Banakacherla.
“Revanth is looting Telangana’s water and funds, all to please his political mentor,” Rama Rao alleged.
During KCR’s government, pioneering welfare initiatives like Rythu Bandhu were implemented with over `73,000 crore deposited directly into the accounts of farmers besides supplying free 24/7 electricity to the agriculture sector, reviving over 46,000 tanks under Mission Kakatiya and helping Telangana become India’s highest paddy producer.
He said, “Not a single woman is receiving the `2,500 monthly pension promised by the Congress. Distribution of scooters to college-going girl students, creation of jobs, unemployment allowance, proved false promises.”
“The Congress has also cheated farmers by reducing the loan waiver from `50,000 crore to `12,000 crore and the government owes every farmer `19,000 under Rythu Bharosa. They have not paid even the crop insurance premiums for three months,” he said.