BRS corners Congress for Revanth’s remark on power to farmers
The statement against the BRS initiative set off a severe backlash, with the BRS quick to launch a State-wide protest against what it termed the anti-farmer stance of Congress
Hyderabad: A day after TPCC president A Revanth Reddy’s comment projecting MLA Seethakka as the Congress chief ministerial candidate triggered protests within its own ranks, the Congress was in for more trouble, this time from farmers across the State and the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi after Revanth Reddy shot off his mouth again, stating that 24×7 free power supply was not necessary for farmers.
The statement against the BRS initiative, which has been crucial in reviving the fortunes of farmers in the State and of the agriculture sector itself, set off a severe backlash, with the BRS quick to launch a State-wide protest on Tuesday against what it termed the anti-farmer stance of the Congress. The protests, which saw effigies of Revanth Reddy and the Congress being burnt, will continue on Wednesday.
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The trailer of what could be in store for the State’s farmers if the Congress managed to wrest power from the BRS, began from the United States, where the TPCC president, during an interaction with NRI members from Telangana, said the 24×7 free power supply to farmers was unnecessary.
Majority of farmers in Telangana were small and marginal owning less than three acres of land, he said, claiming that for cultivating three acres of land, only three hours of power supply was sufficient.
The counterblast to the statement was instant, with even Congress leaders slamming Revanth Reddy. Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy went to the extent of questioning his capacity for making such remarks and said Revanth Reddy’s word was not final. Former MLA Mallu Ravi too said Revanth’s statement was in his individual capacity and that it was not the Congress party’s policy.
On the other hand, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao lambasted the Congress, stating that the idea of cutting down free power supply to farmers to three hours reflected the party’s evil policies towards ryot welfare.
Calling upon farmers in the State to oppose the Congress party’s conspiracies to abolish free power supply, he said the 24-hour free power supply policy was a lifeline for farmers in Telangana. The Congress had announced that initiatives like the Dharani portal and Rythu Bandhu would be scrapped, and now, going a step further, had made its intentions clear by announcing that three hour power supply was sufficient for farmers, he said.
Stating that Telangana would never forget the hardships faced by farmers during the Congress regime, he pointed out how poor quality power was supplied, that too sporadically, leading to electric motors getting burnt out, transformer explosions and protests by farmers at substations. All these miserable circumstances had vanished in the last nine years under the BRS.
It was not just about power supply. During the Congress rule, fertilizers were sold through police stations and farmers waited in queues. Farmers suffering injuries in lathi charges by police were common across the State.
After the formation of Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had accorded top priority for welfare of farmers. Thousands of crores were spent for extending 24×7 free power supply to farmers. Kaleshwaram, Mission Kakatiya and other irrigation projects had aided in improving the groundwater table, in turn facilitating farmers to go for two crops annually, he said.
At the same time, despite the BJP-led Centre insisting on meters for motors in agriculture fields, the BRS government did not relent and to protect the interests of farmers, had foregone Central financial assistance of Rs.30,000 crore.
From a drought-prone region, Telangana was now the nation’s ‘Annapurna’. “Unable to stomach the development in Telangana and the welfare of farmers, opposition parties are hatching conspiracies and spewing venom,” he said, calling upon farmers to give befitting replies and chase away leaders who were against 24-hour power supply and pitching for a three hour supply.
