KTR foresees phased withdrawal of Rythu Bharosa under Congress regime  

Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K.T. Rama Rao along with party MLAs addressing a media conference in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

BRS MLA and former minister K.T. Rama Rao accused the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government of diluting the Rythu Bharosa scheme by imposing conditions and eventually withdrawing the initiative.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress government during a short discussion on Rythu Bharosa in the Assembly on Saturday, KTR stated that the Congress owed ₹17,500 per acre to farmers, including unpaid amounts for the Yasangi (Rabi) and Vanakalam (Kharif) season crops. “Farmers are yet to receive ₹26,775 crore, which includes two instalments of Rythu Bharosa and an additional ₹2,500 that the Congress had promised before the elections. They claimed they would increase the amount from ₹5,000 under Rythu Bandhu to ₹7,500 under Rythu Bharosa,” he said.

KTR urged the government to prioritize tenant farmers and farm labourers, who were still awaiting assistance.

On the issue of crop loan waivers, KTR challenged the Congress government to substantiate its claims. “I will take political sanyas if there is a 100% loan waiver in any village in the State. They reduced the required ₹49,500 crore to ₹19,000 crore, betraying the farming community,” he said. He added that despite Congress’s claims, only ₹17,934 crore of loans for 22 lakh farmers had been waived so far.

Defending the BRS government’s record, KTR highlighted its provision of 24-hour free electricity to farmers. He dismissed Congress’s allegations of power shortages, citing a White Paper by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, which reported an average supply of 19.2 hours of electricity. “If it is proven that farmers are not receiving 24-hour electricity, all BRS MLAs will resign,” he declared.

KTR also emphasized the BRS government’s achievements in irrigation, claiming that barren lands in Palamuru had been transformed into fertile fields. However, this was contested by Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, who hails from the Palamuru region. He stated, “I will resign from my post if KTR’s claims are proven wrong.”