HC Treats Advocate's Letter On Rythu Bandhu As A PIL

The Hyderabad High Court today accepted the letter of one P Yadagiri Reddy, an advocate who alleged that the landlords were getting more benefit with the introduction of the Rythu Bandhu scheme than the common people, as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

In his letter, Reddy had stated that the scheme needed changes. The High Court took up the letter on Tuesday and accepted it as a PIL, and directed the state government to file a counter within two weeks.

The court then adjourned the case to July 10.

The Telangana government launched the Rythu Bandhu scheme on May 10 announcing Rs 4,000 per acre per season, but has been criticized since the money is paid out only to the landlords and not the tenant farmers, who are considered the ones that are really poor.

Reddy asked the court to direct the government to exclude the present and former MLAs, MLCs, MPs, NRIs, businessmen, government employees and pensioners from the list of beneficiaries in the scheme. He also urged the court to issue orders that the scheme should be implemented to benefit only the small and needy farmers and weaker sections.