Harish Rao criticizes Congress government over Grama Sabha failures

HYDERABAD: Former minister and Siddipet MLA Harish Rao strongly criticised the Congress-led Telangana government, accusing it of failing to manage welfare schemes and turning village sabhas into arenas of chaos. Speaking on recent incidents, he highlighted how the government’s inefficiency has caused distress among people, especially in rural areas.
Addressing the press, Harish Rao referred to the tragic incident at Mogilipet, Mallapur mandal, Jagtial district, where a former sarpanch, Nagaraju, attempted self-immolation during a village sabha. He also mentioned another incident in Mulugu district, where a Dalit farmer, Kummari Nagayya, consumed pesticide, frustrated over his exclusion from the Indiramma housing scheme. Harish Rao described these incidents as heart-wrenching and blamed the Congress government for the mismanagement.
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government had failed to plan properly for welfare schemes, including Indiramma housing, ration cards, and farmer support schemes like Rythu Bandhu. He claimed that the government’s lack of transparency in beneficiary selection has led to confusion and frustration among the public. According to Rao, village sabhas have become platforms for protests and chaos, with Congress leaders allegedly favouring their party workers in the allocation of welfare benefits.
Rao criticised the Congress for announcing welfare schemes without clarity, pointing to the Deputy Chief Minister’s statements that the beneficiary lists released during village sabhas were not final. He questioned the rationale behind organising village sabhas with tight deadlines and unclear procedures, calling it a “political drama.”
Further, he accused Congress of using the historic Republic Day (January 26) to stage another deception by collecting fresh applications for schemes already promised. Harish Rao derided the government’s approach as “apply, apply, but no reply,” highlighting the people’s dissatisfaction with their handling of the schemes.
Rao emphasised the need for transparency and the use of technology in beneficiary selection to avoid forcing people to attend lengthy village sabhas. He also criticised the government for not fulfilling the six guarantees promised within 100 days of coming to power. “The Congress government is not a sheltering hand for the people but a destructive one,” Harish Rao remarked, blaming it for turning welfare schemes into sources of anguish.
The minister concluded by urging the Congress government to take immediate corrective action to address public grievances and restore trust in governance.