Subsidies, welfare schemes mandatory to achieve socio-economic equality: Jagadish Reddy

Jagadish Reddy said the Centre was unfortunately considering subsidies and incentives to farmers as freebies

Suryapet: Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy said on Tuesday that subsidies and welfare schemes were mandatory in countries like India where socio-economic equality was not achieved.

Speaking to the media here, Jagadish Reddy said the Centre was unfortunately considering subsidies and incentives to farmers as freebies. Subsidies including Rythu Bandhu to farmers were aimed at increasing their income by reducing the burden of investment for cultivation. It has brought glory to farmers in the State. Reminding that the Centre was trying to fix meters to agricultural pump sets, he said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had already made it clear that there was no question of accepting electricity reforms planned by the Centre, which were aimed at privatizing the power sector. Free electricity to farmers and subsidy to the poor would be continued in the State, he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was spewing venom on Telangana after the BRS government began exposing the Centre’s anti-people and anti-democratic policies. The Centre has been trying to create hurdles to development programmes and welfare schemes, which were being implemented in Telangana, he said, adding that the BRS would muster the support of the people against the BJP across the country and put an end to the BJP rule at the Centre.

Reacting to comments by Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on the possibility of a hung Assembly after the assembly elections, he said the Komatireddy brothers themselves did not know what they were talking. There was no clarity on their political affiliations either, he said.