BRS Questions Congress On Funding For Rythu Bandhu

A brief time following the sworn-in of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Cabinet members as Members of the Legislative Assembly, the BRS pressed the Congress government to give farmers a precise schedule for receiving the extra payments promised under the Rythu Bandhu plan. Former finance minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao stated that on December 9, 2023, the Congress had promised to offer farmers 15,000 per year under Rythu Bandhu. This promise was made during the election campaign. Before, it was around 10,000. He noted that the disbursal day had arrived and that farmers, having started to get ready for the forthcoming Yasangi (Rabi) agricultural season, were in dire need of these monies in order to buy seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, and other essentials. Farmers had done this because they trusted Congress’s assurance. According to Harish Rao, the government ought to pay $7,500 per acre for the Yasangi agricultural season in accordance with the Congress’s pledge. Notwithstanding his standing in the opposition, he made it clear that his goal was not to be critical of the new administration; rather, he wished to emphasize how crucial it is to give clarification immediately. Inquiring further, he asked about the government’s intentions to buy harvested paddy, which is being damaged in certain districts by rainfall caused by superstorms. Harish Rao accompanied former energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy and other BRS MLAs as he questioned Congress leaders over their pledge to buy paddy at a 500 per quintal incentive. Leaders of Congress had warned farmers not to sell their paddy, telling them that their government would take over shortly and they would keep their word. According to them, farmers were eagerly awaiting word on when the government would start buying paddy with the bonus that had been promised.