Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao, on Wednesday, May 6, alleged that over 1,000 farmers have died by suicide in the past 2.5 years under the Congress regime in Telangana and demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each of their families.
Speaking at the Farmers’ Struggle Conference in Warangal, KTR demanded that the 34 promises that Congress made to the farmers in its ‘Warangal Rythu Declaration‘ be implemented immediately, along with the clearance of ‘Rythu Bharosa‘ crop input financial assistance to farmers which was left pending for 3 crop seasons since Congress came to power.
He demanded the government to procure all Rabi 2025-26 crops including maize, paddy, jowar, cotton and chickpea without imposing any conditions.
Outstanding bonus for crops, farm loans, farmers’ insurance
Also pointing out that the state government hasn’t paid Rs 1,200 crore as bonus to the farmers for producing fine grain paddy in Rabi 2024-25 season, KTR demanded that all varieties of fine grain paddy be given a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal in the present Rabi 2025-26 season, without restricting it to only 8 varieties.
He also demanded the state government to waive all farm loans above Rs 2 lakh which he claimed, were yet to be waived, and to revive the ‘Rythu Bima‘ farmers’ life insurance scheme introduced by former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).
Noting that KCR had spent Rs 5 lakh crore during BRS’ 10-year-rule exclusively for various farmer-oriented schemes, he questioned what Congress government has done for the farmers since it came to power, despite taking loans amounting to Rs 3.7 lakh crore in just 2.5 years.
On paddy procurement and urea shortage
On the delay in paddy procurement, KTR pointed out how 4 farmers had died due to the collapse of a shed at a Paddy Procurement Centre (PPC) in Mancherial due to strong winds on Tuesday, May 5; the death of a farmer at a PPC in Rangareddy district, and also the death of another farmer named Venkanna, who was struck by lightning near a PPC in Dornakal of Mahabubabad district.
He accused Congress government of bringing back the olden days, when urea used to be sold in police stations and fire stations, with farmers waiting in serpentine queues outside.
“Stop the drama in the name of urea App,” he said.
Hit them with ‘chappal’ if they talk against Kaleshwaram Project
KTR also exhorted the farmers to use the chappal on their left foot and hit anybody who makes anymore allegations against the construction of Medigadda barrage or says Rs 1 lakh crore was wasted in the construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). He made this remark in view of the Telangana High Court ordering against any attempt to arrest KCR, KTR or Harish Rao based on the Justice PC Ghose Commission Report on the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Project.
Tit-for-tat use of objectionable… now common language
KTR used ‘Na Kodaka‘ repeatedly while referring to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during his speech, which translates to ‘My Son,’ but in a derogatory way. KTR also used rhyming words in Telugu to warn Revanth Reddy that if the state government made deductions in paddy being procured while measuring it at the PPCs in the name of ‘Talu‘ which means ‘Wastage,’ Revanth Reddy’s ‘Tolu‘ (skin) will be peeled off.
Most of these unpalatable words have been used by the chief minister himself, while speaking in and out of the floor of the Telangana Assembly, while speaking against BRS leaders including KCR and KTR.
KTR also warned the ministers in the Congress government, that if the 34 assurances in the Warangal Rythu Declaration weren’t fulfilled, they wouldn’t be able to roam freely in the public in the future.
