Bandi takes BRS to task over protests on MGNREGA funds

HYDERABAD: The BJP criticised the state-wide protests by BRS leaders demanding that MGNREGA funds be allowed to be used for employment generation in agriculture and allied sectors, saying that the state government, after repeatedly neglecting the farm sector, was now shedding crocodile tears.

State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday said BRS leaders and ministers did not have basic awareness of the MGNREGA rules as the scheme does not include agriculture and related activities. “Under this employment guarantee scheme, the Rs 152 crore released to the state by the Centre were diverted. This has been brought to the notice of Telangana government and it was asked to return the funds. But the BRS decided to brazen it out, and is trying to fan Telangana sentiment to achieve political gains,” Sanjay said in a statement.

Other than attempting to sling mud at the Central government which is working hard for welfare of farmers in the country, the BRS government has done nothing concrete for farmers in the state, he said.

The BRS government which was pretending to sympathise with farmers, had s done nothing for them including waiving farm loans as promised. “No one talks about the promised free fertilisers, about Rythu Bandhu for tenant farmers. The BRS government has not rescued a single farmer so far from all those who have suffered crop losses due to weather-related events,” Sanjay said.

“The BRS government which has ignored all these, as well as pleas from desperate farmers for minimum support price for farmers, now acts as if it is the saviour of farmers. It has done nothing to prevent suicides by farmers in Telangana but goes to other states to provide compensation to farmers families,” the state BJP chief said.

Sanjay, meanwhile, in a letter to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao urged him to intervene and ensure justice to candidates undergoing recruitment as police constable.

He said there were many complaints from candidates who made it to the physical fitness rounds over changing the minimum requirements for different tests. The changes imposed have meant that nearly two lakh candidates were eliminated, and there are also complaints about irregularities in the selection of candidates. Sanjay also asked the Chief Minister to give instructions to add marks for questions framed wrongly in the written test and ensure justice is done to the applicants for the constable posts.