Telangana Chief Minister Warns of Welfare Scheme Repeal in Political Rally
In a recent public address, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of Telangana expressed concerns that the Congress party, if elected to power, might discontinue several prominent welfare schemes in the state. Rao warned the people about the potential abolition of programs like Rythu Bandhu, Dalit Bandhu, and free electricity for farmers.
Speaking at public meetings in Khammam, Mahbubabad, and Wardhannapet, Chief Minister Rao stated, “If the Congress comes to power, then it will say Ram Ram to Rythu Bandhu and Jai Bhim to Dalit Bandhu, and there will be no 24-hour power supply in the state.”
The backdrop of this political discourse involves allegations and debates surrounding the state’s welfare schemes. The Chief Minister accused leaders from the Congress party of criticizing the Rythu Bandhu program, which offers financial support to farmers. He also pointed out that the Congress suggested that three hours of free power for farmers was sufficient, in contrast to the current round-the-clock supply.
Furthermore, Rao urged the people to compare the developmental achievements of his party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (BRS), during their ten-year rule with the Congress party’s fifty-year regime. This comparison was presented as a basis for making an informed decision in the upcoming elections scheduled for November 30.
Rao didn’t hesitate to criticize politicians who switched party affiliations for personal gain, alleging that some of them were offering money to buy votes. He claimed that certain Congress leaders insulted Scheduled Tribe (ST) community members by suggesting that they could secure their votes with financial incentives and alcohol.
The Chief Minister addressed the situation where former BRS members, Tummala Nageswara Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, had joined the Congress and started criticizing their previous party. Rao asserted that the BRS had not betrayed Tummala, but instead, it was Tummala who had betrayed the party. He urged voters to think carefully about which party would genuinely work for their welfare.
Chief Minister Rao highlighted the unique initiatives of the BRS government in support of the farming sector. He emphasized the implementation of Rythu Bandhu, a scheme designed to benefit farmers, and Rythu Bima, an insurance program for their well-being. These initiatives gained recognition from agricultural experts and organizations like Dr. M.S. Swaminathan and the United Nations.
Rao underlined that the BRS government’s comprehensive approach, including round-the-clock power supply, combating fake seeds, and promoting paddy production, had transformed Telangana into the second-largest paddy-producing state in the country, following Punjab.
Additionally, the Chief Minister praised the Dalit Bandhu scheme, which provides financial assistance to economically disadvantaged Dalit families, and noted that such schemes were not implemented by the Prime Minister or Chief Ministers of many other states.
Rao also discussed the transformation of thandas (hamlets) into panchayats, enabling Lambada people to govern themselves. The government distributed title deeds for Podu land to farmers, cleared legal cases against Podu land farmers, and enrolled them in the Rythu Bima program.
The Dharani land registration portal was highlighted as a crucial component of the BRS government’s efforts to empower farmers. The portal enabled the state government to provide financial support to farmers directly, eliminating the need for intermediaries. Rao cautioned that Congress leaders had expressed intentions to abolish the Dharani portal if elected, which could reintroduce middlemen into land ownership matters.
To address the electricity needs of marginalized communities, the BRS government invested 300 crore rupees in providing three-phase electricity to the Gondu, Koya Adivasi, Lambada, and other rural areas.
In summary, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s speech emphasized the achievements of the BRS government in Telangana, particularly in the areas of agricultural support, welfare schemes, and land registration. He warned the public about the potential discontinuation of these programs if the Congress party were to come to power and encouraged voters to make informed decisions in the upcoming elections.