Will support KTR if he is made party chief: BRS leader Harish Rao
HYDERABAD: BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday stated that he would welcome any elevation of the party’s working president KT Rama Rao to the post of president and extend his support.
At a press conference here, Harish said: “I will welcome and cooperate if the party leadership is handed over to KTR. I will follow the directions given by party president K Chandrasekhar Rao without any deviation. I will never cross the party line.”
Reminded of rumours that he was contemplating changing parties, the former minister stated: “I condemned those allegations on the same day they surfaced on social media. Our party leaders also lodged a complaint with the police and met the DGP. Do not believe in fake news.”
Harish continued: “KCR is the party president. I am a disciplined soldier of the party. I have said this at hundreds of meetings and media conferences.” He pointed out that he has been in the party since its inception and had followed the directions at every step of its journey. “My leader is KCR. Whatever KCR says, Harish Rao will follow,” he said.
The former minister alleged that the state government was not paying any attention to the plight of paddy farmers, as it was busy making arrangements for the Miss World pageant.
Harish alleged that though the government said that it would purchase 70 lakh tonnes of paddy in Yasangi, it purchased only 40 lakh tonnes. “The government was yet to pay Rs 4,000 crore to paddy farmers,” he alleged, adding that while Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that the amount would be deposited within 48 hours of procurement, the government was yet to pay the farmers even though 10 days had gone by.
“Though the government was supposed to pay Rs 512 crore to farmers towards bonus, it did not pay even five paise till date,” Harish alleged, adding that even Rythu Bharosa amounts remained unpaid.
He demanded that the government pay Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of farmers who died of sunstroke near paddy purchasing centres.