Telangana Model is now hot topic in Maharashtra
BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra is now planning to study the Telangana Model of development
By D Chandra Bhaskar Rao
Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi is forcing a change in the political landscape in Maharashtra, with strong indications that the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the neighbouring State is now planning to study the Telangana Model of development.
With demands from multiple quarters for implementation of the Telangana Model, which has been highlighted by BRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in all the three public meetings he held in Maharashtra, it is learned that bureaucrats have already been tasked with the study of schemes being implemented in Telangana, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself is likely to hold discussions with stakeholders later this week.
Shinde, who had earlier hastened to replicate Telangana’s Rythu Bandhu scheme by announcing an input subsidy of Rs 6,000 per acre for farmers after Chandrashekhar Rao’s first meeting in Nanded, is learned to have called for discussions following more demands from different quarters.
One of these was a fast unto death launched by social activist, Vinayak Patil in Latur district to mount pressure on the State government for replicating the Telangana Model. His health deteriorated after five days of fasting.
According to former MLA and Maharashtra BRS leader Shankar Anna Dhondge, who met Patil on behalf of Chandrashekhar Rao, Maharashtra government representatives had called up Patil and assured him of steps to discuss his demands.
“I persuaded him to give up the fast. Good sense seems to have prevailed on the people in power as well. They also called him over phone and assured him of steps to discuss his demand,” Dhondge said, adding that officials were already asked to study the schemes implemented in Telangana.
“Chief Minister Shinde will also discuss the schemes with stakeholders by the weekend. But the youth in the State are highly skeptical of the approach of the State leadership towards the pressing issues people have been facing. It is too late and people have made up their minds to get rid of the old guard which had failed to respond when people were crying for the attention of the administration,” he said.
Another major indication of the BRS impact was the move to ban the thalati system in Maharashtra. Chandrashekhar Rao, at his Aurangabad meeting, had said Telangana had done away with the thalati (VRA) system and wanted the Maharashtra government to do the same. Reports indicate that discussions are already on for this too.
Pointing out that disillusionment was writ large on faces in key segments of the State population especially the youth, farmers and women, he said the overwhelming support to Chandrashekhar Rao’s meetings showed that people were pinning their hopes on the BRS, and in fact, were celebrating the advent of the party in their State.
“Suicides of farmers are still a reality in Maharashtra. Earlier, after Vidarbha, Telangana had the highest number of farmer suicides. But Rythu Bandhu, uninterrupted power supply, the Kaleshwaram project and finally the procurement of food grains by the State government have all changed the perception of Telangana farmers towards agriculture. All these benefits are being missed by farmers in Maharashtra,” he said, adding that the BRS impact was not confined to the Vidarbha region that shares its border with Telangana, but in districts close to Gujarat as well.
IT sector employees from Maharashtra, many of them working in Hyderabad, too were talking highly of the Telangana Chief Minister and his model of development. They are drawing comparisons between the leaderships in the two States. In fact, this young section is emerging as major campaigners for the BRS in Maharashtra, Dhondge said.
Power supply given to agriculture services in the night in Maharashtra has taken a big toll. Farmers are getting electrocuted or dying of snake bites. There are instances wherein two or three members of a family died together in such accidents. Many families have been deprived of their bread winners. All such people are ready to side with the BRS, he said.
Sudhir Sudhakarrao Bindu, Youth President, Shetkari Sanghatana, says the advent of BRS has rattled political parties in Maharashtra, though the party still has a long way to go.
Manik Kadam, BRS Kisan Cell leader, said farmer suicides were still continuing in Maharashtra. At least 10 farmers were ending their lives because of the wretched conditions that made farming not so remunerative in Maharashtra. A sincere approach to address issues of the farming community, like Telangana did, is missing, he said.
