Harish Rao Alleges Telangana Government Owes Rs 29,300 Crore in Rythu Bandhu Dues
Former Telangana minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Harish Rao on Tuesday alleged that the Congress government in the state has accumulated dues of Rs.29,300 crore under the Rythu Bandhu investment support scheme. Addressing a party meeting in Jadcherla, Rao accused the government of failing to fulfil its election promises to farmers and demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announce a timeline for clearing the alleged arrears.
Speaking at a meeting of BRS key party workers in the Jadcherla Assembly constituency, Harish Rao criticised a farmers' gathering organised by the Congress government in Hyderabad. Referring to the event, which was described as a "Rythula Aashirvada Sabha" (Farmers' Blessing Meeting), he claimed that the government had repeatedly failed farmers and said it should instead be called a "Rythu Vanchana Sabha" (Farmers' Betrayal Meeting).
Allegations over Rythu Bandhu implementation
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress had promised to provide Rs.15,000 per acre under the Rythu Bandhu scheme before the Assembly elections but had not implemented that commitment after assuming office.
According to Rao, the government has provided only Rs.12,000 per acre, and he further alleged that payments were restricted during different crop seasons. He claimed that financial assistance was released only up to three acres during one crop season and limited to two acres during another, leaving many eligible farmers without the full benefit they were expected to receive.
Based on these calculations, Rao alleged that the Congress government now owes farmers Rs.29,300 crore under the Rythu Bandhu scheme.
Demand for repayment timeline
Addressing the state government through his speech in Jadcherla, Harish Rao called on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to use the Hyderabad farmers' meeting to clarify when the alleged pending amount would be released.
"I demand that Revanth Reddy tell Telangana's farmers by when the Rs.29,300 crore in Rythu Bandhu dues will be paid," Rao said during the meeting.
He added that he was raising the issue on behalf of Telangana's farmers and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, urging the government to publicly specify the timeframe for clearing what he described as pending Rythu Bandhu payments.
Political backdrop
The Rythu Bandhu scheme, introduced during the previous BRS government, provides investment support to eligible farmers to help meet cultivation expenses. Since the change of government in Telangana, implementation of the scheme and financial assistance to farmers have remained subjects of political debate between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS.
The Congress government has not responded to the allegations made by Harish Rao in the statements provided.