Hyderabad, January 4:* Former Minister Harish Rao has strongly criticized the Congress-led government in Telangana for failing to deliver on its election promises to farmers, accusing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of betraying the very community that helped bring his party to power. During the election campaign, Revanth Reddy made grand assurances, claiming that his government would offer ₹15,000 per acre annually through the “Rythu Bharosa” scheme—far surpassing the ₹10,000 provided under the previous BRS government. Reddy had confidently stated, “Vote for us, and we will provide ₹15,000 per acre to farmers.”
However, the recent decisions by the Congress Cabinet have dashed any hopes of fulfilling that promise. Instead of the ₹7,500 per season they initially assured, the Rythu Bharosa scheme has been reduced to just ₹6,000 per acre per season, much to the dismay of farmers across the state.
Harish Rao, in a sharply worded statement, criticized the Congress government for its failure to support farmers adequately. “This reduction in financial aid is nothing short of a betrayal. Farmers were promised more, but Congress has failed to deliver,” he said.
Rao also pointed out that while the Rythu Bandhu scheme, introduced by former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, provided inclusive support for all farmers, the Congress government has turned a blind eye to tenant farmers, who were also promised the ₹15,000 per acre support. "Tenant farmers, who are crucial to Telangana's agriculture, have been entirely ignored by this government,” Rao added.
In addition to the reduction in Rythu Bharosa payments, the Congress government’s much-hyped loan waiver scheme has left more than half of the state’s farmers without relief, while the promised crop bonuses and insurance have yet to materialize.
“The Congress party has deceived the farmers who voted for them. Their promises are now proving to be nothing more than empty words,” Harish Rao said, urging the government to immediately release the pending payments for the rainy season and honor the original commitment of ₹15,000 per acre for the upcoming Rabi season.
As Telangana's farmers grapple with the consequences of broken promises, there is growing anger and disappointment within the community. The opposition is confident that the Congress government’s inability to fulfill its commitments will be remembered when the people cast their votes again.
“Farmers will not forget this betrayal. They will make their voices heard in the coming elections,” Rao concluded, signaling that the Congress government may face a tough challenge in the future as it tries to regain the trust of the farming community.
With crucial agricultural seasons ahead, the Congress government's handling of farmers' issues will continue to be under intense scrutiny in the coming months.
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