Opposition flays Telangana govt decision to provide bonus only for fine variety paddy

Hyderabad: The opposition BRS and BJP on Tuesday criticised the decision of the Congress government in Telangana

To provide bonus on MSP only to farmers who cultivated fine quality paddy from the upcoming kharif season. The BJP also took exception to the state government’s decision to invite former AICC president Sonia Gandhi to the state formation day celebrations.

BRS Working President K T Rama Rao said Congress had promised Rs 500 bonus for “paddy crop” before the Legislative Assembly polls, but it is now saying that the bonus is only for fine variety paddy. “This is Congress-mark deceit, betrayal,” he said on his X handle.

Farmers have faced trouble due to erratic power supply in villages, inadequate irrigation water for crops and the Congress government not procuring paddy before unseasonal rains damaged crops, he alleged. The Congress had promised Rs 15,000 annually to farmers and tenant farmers, Rs 12,000 to agriculture workers and Rs two lakh loan waiver but not fulfilled those promises, he said.

Rama Rao said the state’s farmers would not spare the ruling Congress for “betraying” them after polling in Lok Sabha elections was over. “The countdown has begun for the end of the Congress government,” he said.

BJP spokesperson N V Subhash charged the Congress with “betraying” farmers by deciding to give bonus only for fine variety paddy though it had promised Rs 500 bonus to paddy in general. He also hit out at the Congress over its promises of Rs 15,000 annually to farmers and tenant farmers, Rs 12,000 to farm labourers and Rs two lakh loan waiver.

Referring to the Congress dispensation’s decision to invite former AICC president Sonia Gandhi to the Telangana formation day celebrations, Subhash said the government should inform people in what capacity Sonia Gandhi is being invited. While Telangana statehood was achieved with the contribution of all sections of society, the Congress and BRS have always tried to claim credit for it, he said.

The previous BRS government had spent about Rs 500 crore for 10th anniversary celebrations of state formation and now Congress is following suit, he alleged. Noting that the BJP had always supported the formation of Telangana, Subhash said veteran BJP leader L K Advani had in 2009 announced state formation in 100 days if the BJP came to power.

The Congress government should hold celebrations after addressing people’s problems, said Subhash, a grandson of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao. The Telangana cabinet had on Monday decided to invite Sonia Gandhi for the state formation day celebrations and also pay a bonus of Rs 500 on MSP to farmers who cultivated fine rice variety of paddy.