BRS Can Approach EC Over Rythu Bandhu Payments: Harish Rao

Siddipet: Former minister and BRS deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao on Thursday said the party was prepared to write to the Election Commission stating it had no objection to the release of Rythu Bandhu funds to farmers.

Addressing a roadshow at Pragnapur in Gajwel constituency as part of the municipal election campaign, he said if Rythu Bandhu was not credited by February 11, farmers would react strongly. He alleged that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had stated that the assistance would be released only after the elections.

Harish Rao said the Rythu Bandhu scheme was never stopped, even during the Covid-19 period under the previous BRS government, and that payments were made 11 times. He alleged that after coming to power, the Congress government had already skipped two instalments of the scheme.

“We demand that the two skipped payments and the current due three Rythu Bandhu payments should be deposited immediately,” Harish Rao said.

Targeting the Chief Minister, he alleged that Revanth Reddy resorted to abusive language and made threats when demands were raised by the public. He also criticised the Congress government over pensions, stating that while former chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao increased pensions from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000, the present government had not implemented its promise of raising them to Rs 4,000.

Harish Rao said Chandrashekhar Rao was responsible for the development of Gajwel and cited the construction of temples, including Yadadri Narasimha Swamy temple and Gajwel Venkateshwara Swamy temple. He urged voters to support BRS candidates in the municipal elections, stating that the councillors elected would remain in office for five years. He expressed confidence that the BRS would return to power in the state.