BRS to hold State-wide protests against Centre’s allegations on MGNREGS funds

BRS working president KTR called on the party cadre to stage demonstrations in all district headquarters across the State, opposing the Centre's allegations on diversion of MGNREGS funds in Telangana

Hyderabad: In its first major political act after the official launch, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will stage State-wide demonstrations in all district headquarters on Friday against the Centre’s misinformation campaign that alleges diversion of MGNREGS funds in Telangana. Party working president and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao has urged farmers as well to join the protests.

Last month, the union government served a notice to the State government to return Rs.151.9 crore of MGNREGS funds spent on construction of drying platforms under the scheme, stating that they were not permitted under the Central scheme guidelines. In a statement issued here, Rama Rao termed the Central government’s action as vengeful. The BJP, instead of appreciating the good work that was being done, was bent on tarnishing the image of the Telangana government among the people.

“How can the Centre find fault with construction of crop drying platforms for the benefit of farmers, when it has allowed States with coastal lines to build fish drying platforms under the same scheme,” he asked.

Slamming the BJP for spreading misinformation by calling the construction of drying platforms a diversion of MGNREGS funds, the Minister said the Central government was trying to malign and conspire against the Telangana government without considering benefits such works accrue to farmers. Stating that the BRS as well as the State government had been repeatedly requesting the union government to integrate the MGNREGS with agriculture and allied activities, he said this would help farmers in the wake of steep hikes in prices of fertilisers and fuel, which in turn increased the investment cost in farming.

However, there was no response from the Centre which was now keen to weaken the scheme that provides livelihood for scores of people across the country.

“The BJP has done nothing beneficial for farmers. And when the BRS government took up several revolutionary initiatives, the BJP is unable to admit its failures. The BJP is targeting the Telangana government due to its inability to compete with the State in terms of agricultural development,” he said.

Rama Rao said the Modi government had reduced funds allotted to MGNREGS and was imposing new rules where its latest actions had stalled construction of 79,000 crop drying platforms in Telangana which was taken up at a cost of Rs.750 crore. He said with pioneering schemes such as Rythu Bandhu and free power supply, Telangana had become a role model to the country in the agriculture sector.

“But the Modi-led Central government is attributing ill intentions to the State government’s efforts to further strengthen the sector,” he said.