Hyderabad: Former minister and BRS deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao accused the Congress government of betraying farmers and failing to fulfil key promises made to the agricultural community. Addressing a BRS workers’ meeting in Achampet Assembly constituency on Monday, he alleged that the government had neglected welfare commitments while increasing the financial burden on the public.
Harish Rao claimed the government had not released ₹29,350 crore under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. He said the administration had weakened its commitments to farmers and failed to provide the support promised during elections.
The BRS leader targeted Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and accused the government of converting the crop bonus promise into an unfulfilled assurance. He also criticised the reported decision to limit crop procurement to quantities purchased by the Centre.
According to Harish Rao, such a policy could adversely affect farmers cultivating maize, sorghum, soybean, groundnut and sunflower crops. Moreover, he warned that cultivators could face serious difficulties during the upcoming Kharif season if procurement support remained restricted.
Procurement concerns fuel Telangana farmers betrayal charge
Harish Rao alleged that the government had failed to prioritise farmers despite spending on projects that he described as non-essential. He questioned the government’s spending priorities and argued that welfare programmes deserved greater attention.
“The government claims there is no money for welfare schemes, but it has funds to construct a ₹100-crore guest house, spend ₹17 crore on fencing, organise football events, and publish advertisements worth hundreds of crores in other states,” he said.
The former minister also accused the government of neglecting students by delaying fee reimbursement payments. He said the delay was affecting students from economically weaker sections and creating uncertainty about their education.
In addition, Harish Rao alleged that people were facing increased financial pressure because of higher petrol and diesel prices, rising fertiliser costs, increased RTA charges and higher liquor prices. He asserted that the BRS would continue to raise public issues and claimed that dissatisfaction with the Congress government was growing across Telangana.