Alleging that former minister T Harish Rao had performed “occult rituals” against the people of Telangana to create a crisis in the state, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that it was the Almighty’s mercy that there have been rains despite forecasts of a Super El Nino.
Claiming that Harish Rao had visited Shivamogga in Karnataka to perform such rituals, Revanth referred to him as “Aghora Rao”. “Who performs occult rituals against the people? When we speak the truth, notices were issued to TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud.
Why did the BRS MLA secretly visit temples in Tamil Nadu? However, God’s blessings are upon us, and that is why the Yellampalli reservoir filled up even during El Nino,” he said. Describing BRS leaders as conspirators, Revanth appealed to people not to fall into the “trap” of the pink party. He also challenged former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to come to the Assembly for a debate on the welfare of farmers during the 10 years of BRS rule and under the present Congress government.
“I am challenging KCR to come to the Assembly and discuss what the previous government did for farmers and what our government is doing,” he said, claiming that his government had spent Rs 1.70 lakh crore on farmers in just two-and-ahalf years.
Revanth was speaking at Sangareddy after launching the Smart Ration Cards distribution programme. Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, C Damodar Rajanarasimha and G Vivek Venkatswamy were present. Addressing the gathering, the chief minister alleged that the BRS and BJP were “two sides of the same coin”.
Listing the welfare measures for the farming community, he said the Rythu Bharosa assistance had been increased to Rs 12,000 and Rs 36,000 crore had so far been deposited into farmers’ accounts under the scheme.
He said the government had waived farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh at a cost of Rs 21,000 crore, describing it as unmatched elsewhere in the country.
Revanth advised BJP leaders to study Union government reports on debt-free farmers in Telangana. “In just 32 months, we transferred Rs 90,000 crore to farmers’ accounts for the purchase of paddy,” he said. Stating that ration cards were not merely pieces of paper but represented the dignity of poor people, Revanth asked whether the BJP and BRS had ever distributed fine-quality rice to the poor.
No power cuts in Cong rule, says CM
He alleged that the two parties were not different and reiterated that they were “two sides of the same coin”. The Congress, he said, deserved credit for establishing ration shops to distribute essential commodities to the poor. Revanth also rejected opposition allegations of power cuts in the state.
“Has Telangana witnessed power outages even for a single moment during these 32 months? Is it not true that we are providing 24-hour free electricity to farmers in every village? We proved the BRS leaders wrong when they warned of suicides if paddy was cultivated. My government is providing a `500 bonus for fine-variety paddy,” he said.
Appealing to the youth not to fall for what he described as false propaganda by the opposition, the chief minister said the government had taken responsibility for regular recruitment every six months.
He warned that some individuals were “hatching conspiracies for power” and appealed to the youth to focus on preparing for examinations.
“Youth should not fall for their tricks and should focus on preparing for exams. We will not deny your rights or take away your opportunities. The government has already filled 72,000 government jobs in two-and-a-half years and issued notifications for another 10,000,” he said.
The chief minister said the government was providing pensions to single women, handloom weavers and toddy tappers. He urged all eligible people to apply and said the responsibility for providing the pensions rested with the government.
Meanwhile, Revanth praised TPCC working president and former MLA T Jagga Reddy for his commitment to strengthening the Congress and serving the people.
He clarified that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would decide whether Jagga Reddy would contest from Sangareddy. “If Rahul Gandhi is like Rama, then Jagga Reddy is like Hanuman. This Hanuman never defies the word of Rama. Even after losing elections, Jagga Reddy stayed with the people, setting aside even his own family. People should also support the senior Congress leader,” he said.
WELFARE OF FARMERS REMAINS TOP PRIORITY OF GOVT: BHATTI
Khammam: Telangana is progressing rapidly across sectors with the ambitious goal of transforming the state into a $3-trillion economy by 2047, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Saturday. Addressing the gathering after participating as chief guest in the Independence Day celebrations at the Police Parade Ground here, Bhatti said farmers’ welfare remained the government’s top priority.
“Under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, Rs 427.97 crore has been directly deposited into the bank accounts of 3,41,913 farmers in the district. Another Rs 912.10 crore has been provided to 1,31,760 farmers under the crop loan waiver scheme, while Rs 40.15 crore has been paid to the families of 803 farmers under Rythu Bima,” he said.
