Hyderabad, March 9 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Monday alleged that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has effectively introduced a new scheme called “Rahul Bandhu” by diverting funds meant for farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme.

Speaking at a felicitation programme organised for newly elected councillors in Sircilla, he said that the Congress government has been consistently delaying and denying the Rythu Bandhu assistance that farmers are entitled to receive. He accused the Chief Minister of diverting farmers’ funds to please the Congress high command.

KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, remarked that while farmers across the state are waiting for the promised Rythu Bandhu assistance — which the Congress had claimed it would enhance — the state government has failed to release the funds.

He alleged that the government has already defaulted on Rythu Bandhu payments multiple times and has once again delayed the scheme this season.

Mocking the Congress leadership, KTR said that the Chief Minister appears to have introduced a new programme called “Rahul Bandhu,” under which Telangana farmers’ money is being diverted to benefit Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership. He alleged that nearly Rs 1,000 crore annually is being effectively diverted for political appeasement instead of supporting farmers.

KTR further accused the Chief Minister of trying to safeguard his political position by pleasing the Congress leadership in Delhi at the expense of Telangana’s farmers. He alleged that whenever the Congress high command requires funds or political support, the Chief Minister attempts to divert public resources to maintain his position.

The BRS working president also criticised the Congress government for failing to fulfil its electoral promises. He recalled that leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, had repeatedly assured the people of Telangana that the six guarantees promised by the Congress would be given legal backing within 100 days of coming to power.

KTR said that the Congress party came to power by making extravagant promises through various declarations, but after assuming office, it has failed to implement those commitments and has instead betrayed all sections of society.

He announced that the BRS will raise the issue in the upcoming Assembly sessions and will introduce a Private Member Bill demanding legal backing for the six guarantees promised by the Congress.

KTR said the purpose of the bill would be to compel the government to legally guarantee the implementation of the six guarantees and ensure that Congress fulfils the promises made to the people of Telangana. He added that Congress MLAs themselves would be forced to support the bill since it merely seeks to implement the assurances publicly made by their own leaders.

–IANS

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