Congress Promises Before Polls, Betrays: Harish Rao

Former minister and senior BRS leader Harish Rao today expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the Congress government for "failing to deliver" on its promises during a Grama Sabha held at Gadicherlapalli in Siddipet town.

He criticized the government for "neglecting" essential welfare schemes, leaving the people of Telangana "grappling with unmet expectations".

In his address, Rao questioned the government's "inaction" on applications submitted for welfare programs.

He said that due to the inaction the people were being forced to reapply during Gram Sabhas despite having already submitted applications through public governance programs and MeeSeva.

This repeated process, costing Rs 30-40 per application, had caused significant financial strain on the poor, he said, and lambasted the government for its failure to digitise or act on prior applications, creating unnecessary duplication and wasting public resources.

Rao also took on the Congress government's claims regarding the completion of the loan waiver scheme, calling them misleading. He cited the case of several farmers in Gadicherlapalli, including Aakula Raju, who still had loans pending despite promises of waivers. He also shared the struggles of two persons named Utha Balayya and Marige Sudhakar, who had paid amounts as instructed but had not yet received the promised relief.

Rao demanded that the government release a white paper detailing how many farmers had benefited from the loan waiver and how many were still waiting for assistance.

Reflecting on the tragic suicides of three farmers in Telangana, the BRS leader criticized the government's "indifference" to their plight. "Farmers are ending their lives, but the government remains unmoved. There is no empathy, no action," he claimed. He called for the immediate release of Rs 15,000 under Rythu Bandhu for both the Kharif and the Rabi seasons, as the Congress had promised during its election campaign in 2023.

He also slammed the Congress government for "failing" to meet its housing promises. "The Congress government promised to build five lakh houses annually, but even after a year now, not even a single house has been constructed. In fact, instead of providing shelter, they are demolishing existing homes," Rao said.

The promise of Rs 6 lakh for SC/ST families to build houses also remained unfulfilled, he claimed.

Rao also called attention to the government's "failure" to address ration card issues. He claimed that in 2014 the then CM K Chandrasekhar Rao had increased the income limits for eligibility, which were raised significantly. "The Congress government has continued using those outdated limits in 2024, effectively excluding many deserving families. It is unacceptable that the limits set a decade ago are still being used. The government must revise them and ensure that all eligible families receive ration cards," he said.

The BRS leader also criticized the poor implementation of the Indiramma Aatmeeya Bharosa scheme, which was supposed to support labourers. He shared the example of Bhagyamma, a daily labourer from Gadicherlapalli, who was excluded from the scheme despite being eligible. "Of the 1 crore labourers eligible for the scheme, only 6 lakh have been included. This selective approach is unjust," he said.

Pointing out the alleged discrepancies in government priorities, Rao questioned the allocation of Rs 15,000 crore for the Outer Ring Road and Rs 5,000 crore for six-lane roads in select constituencies while the needs of farmers and labourers were ignored. "How can the government find money for infrastructure but not for welfare programs like Rythu Bandhu or loan waivers?" he asked.

Turning his criticism towards Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he said, "Before the elections Revanth Reddy promised prosperity, but after the elections all we see are betrayals. If he is sincere, let him release the Rythu Bandhu funds for both seasons immediately."

Rao concluded his remarks by demanding the immediate release of Rs 15,000 for both the Kharif and the Rabi seasons under Rythu Bandhu, allocation of Rs 6 lakh for each SC/ST family to build houses, the issuance of ration cards to all eligible families, and the inclusion of all labourers under the Indiramma Aatmeeya Bharosa scheme. He also called for the release of a white paper on loan waivers to ensure transparency and accountability.