Congress slams BRS govt and CM KCR for ECI revoking permission for disbursal of cash under Rythu Bandhu scheme

Congress wrote to ECI seeking to withhold disbursement of second instalment of Rythu Bandhu scheme in the last week of November so as to not influence voters

KC Venugopal. PTI file

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, November 27

The Congress on Monday blamed Telengana’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and Finance Minister Harish Rao for the decision of the Election Commission to withdraw permission given earlier to disburse cash to farmers under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme.

“Due to the irresponsible and narrow self-serving approach of the BRS and Harish Rao, under the instructions of his boss KCR, the ECI has denied permission for the disbursement of the Rythu Bandhu instalments”, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement posted on X.

“The money is the right of the farmers. It is what they deserve for their year-long hard work. When this money is supposed to be released any time between October and January, it was the BRS desperation which compelled them to make such irresponsible statements,” Venugopal said.

“Yet another sin committed by the BRS, which will not be forgiven by the farmers of Telangana,” Venugopal added.

On October 23, the Congress wrote to the ECI seeking to withhold disbursement of second instalment of Rythu Bandhu scheme in the last week of November as it is likely to influence the voters.

However, in a communication on Friday, the ECI approved the disbursement of funds under the scheme, following a representation by the BRS government led by Chief Minister KCR on November 18, saying the farmers needed the amount as the Yasangi (rabi) operations have already commenced.

The ECI approval to disburse the funds did not go down well with the Congress which has thrown a strong challenge to the ruling BRS for the November 30 assembly polls in the state.

“Naturally, the BRS would have an advantage of the disbursement of financial assistance to farmers. The farmers would be getting a minimum of Rs 4,000 per acre directly into their accounts. A farmer with three acres of land will get Rs 12,000 and this will help him develop a soft corner towards the BRS,” Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman G Niranjan said.

However, the ECI on Monday revoked the permission granted to the BRS for disbursement of the second instalment of the financial assistance to farmers.

The ECI letter to the state chief electoral officer read, “The Commission has observed that T Harish Rao, Minister of Finance and Heath and Family Welfare, Govt of Telangana, has not only violated the provisions of MCC (model code of conduct) but also conditions laid down as above by publicising the release under the scheme, and thereby disturbed the level playing field in the ongoing election process.”

The EC informed the state chief electoral officer about its decision to withdraw the permission.

The state finance minister had made a public announcement about the release of disbursements of rabi instalments.

The Congress had requested that the ECI either withhold the scheme till the election process is completed or direct the state government to disburse the Rythu Bandhu money before November 3, when the nomination process started.

Around 70 lakh farmers are likely to benefit from the Rythu Bandhu scheme under which financial assistance is provided to farmers twice a year (before the kharif and rabi seasons).

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