Sat Dec 21 00:50:00 UTC 2024: **Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Defends Farmer Support Policies, Attacks Predecessor**
HYDERABAD, INDIA – Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today defended his government’s farmer support policies, accusing the previous administration of negligence and misappropriation of funds. Speaking during a brief assembly discussion on the Rythu Bharosa scheme (Farmer’s Trust), Reddy asserted that supporting farmers is his government’s top priority.
Reddy criticized the previous government’s implementation of Rythu Bandhu, a farmer investment support scheme, alleging that it benefitted ineligible recipients including real estate and industrialists, resulting in an estimated ₹22,600 crore in unwarranted benefits. He questioned the allocation of funds to unproductive land. He challenged the previous government’s claims of reducing farmer suicides, stating that Telangana has the second-highest number of farmer suicides in India after Maharashtra, with over 3,000 suicides occurring during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rule.
He further criticized the previous government for accepting a ₹100 crore donation from Adani for a skill varsity, only to return the funds later due to opposition backlash. Reddy also highlighted the substantial debt accrued under the previous government’s nine-and-a-half-year tenure, estimating it at ₹7 lakh crore.
Reddy urged assembly members to offer suggestions to improve the Rythu Bharosa scheme’s implementation and ensure that genuine beneficiaries receive support without any injustice. He rejected the previous government as a model, stating that its actions during its tenure didn’t warrant emulation.
First Piper 