Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday remarked that the progress achieved in the state by the Congress party, especially in agriculture, has been destroyed under the leadership of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).
Revanth made the remarks during the ‘Meet the press’ event held on the theme of ‘Warangal Farmers declaration-possibilities’ held at Mercure Hotel, Somajiguda on Wednesday.
On Congress party’s contribution to agriculture:
Speaking on what the Congress party has done for the public over the last 60 years, Revanth Reddy said, “Congress introduced the nodal agency and Food Corporation of India (FCI), to name a few. The party also introduced godowns and crops grown by farmers so that they could keep their crops safe from floods or droughts. Hence, farmers were taken care of. They had a buffer to rely on.”
Revanth further said that the late Prime Minister and former chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh P V Narsimha Rao ensured that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi got the Land Ceiling Act into action. “The Act protects farmers from zamindars. That’s the legacy of the Congress party,” he asserted.
On the Preventive Detention Act (PD Act), Revanth Reddy said that the act was the contribution of the Congress party to the country and was passed in the 1980s during Indira Gandhi’s Prime Ministership to deal with violaters of the essential commodities act.
Continuing with the deeds of the Congress party over the years, Revanth Reddy said, “Sprinklers, drip, fertilisers, etc were subsidized for farmers by the Congress. We also got Rythu Bazaars in place. In the last seven years, KCR has ruined the progress that the Congress party made.”
Revanth takes on KCR
Taking a dig at chief minister KCR, Revanth said, “KCR asks what Congress has done all these years. We were the ones who introduced Nagarjuna Sagar dam, Nizamsagar, Karimnagar Zilla’s projects, Hitech City, and the Outer Ring Road (ORR).”
He further pointed out how KCR has brought in Rs 5 lakh crore debt in 7 years with which, Revanth alleged, even salaries are not being paid. “He is looting the state. TRS party is failing miserably. Telangana is competing with Sri Lanka on debt,” he said.
Revanth also blamed the chief minister for replacing everything with real estate. “After setting up projects worth crores, why is he setting up pump sets worth a mere few lakhs? It’s because the irrigation projects were a farce and they failed.”
Further criticizing KCR, Revanth said, “Instead of aiding the farmers in need, KCR is helping the prosperous farmers using the Rythu Bandhu scheme. Will someone with sanity do this? Srimanthulu (the wealthy) should not get access to Rythu Bandhu. The Dharani project was brought in with ill intent. There is no transparency.”
He also attacked state agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy by saying that he is using the death of thousands of farmers in Telangana as a way to promote the progress of the farmers’ insurance scheme (Rythu Bheema) and is going around displaying their pictures.
Revanth promises ‘change’ if elected to power:
Revanth said he is confident that the Congress party will be back in power in 9 months. “In 9 months congress will be back to power and will implement the 9 points, be it Dharani portal or other farmer issues.”
He further assured that if the Congress party is voted to power they will waive off farm loans. “In the first 30 days of our power, farmers will be aided immensely,” he said.
On Varavara Rao and political prisoners:
In response to a question on the human rights activist P Varavarao, Revanth said that Congress has always forgiven and aided political prisoners. Mentioning the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, he said, “Perarivalan has been acquitted. Even he was forgiven.”
A G Perarivalan, one of the seven convicts in the late prime minister’s assassination case, was acquitted by the Apex Court on Wednesday after serving 30 years in jail.
“When Rahul Gandhi came to Telangana, be it Varavara Rao, Gaddar, Haragopal, all these issues were taken seriously and discussed,” Revanth said.
