EC asks Telangana govt to halt financial aid to farmers over violation

Election Commission on Monday withdrew the permission to the Telangana government on disbursement of financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, triggering a blame-game between the Congress and the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi ahead of the November 30 elections.

The EC action came as a Congress leader on Sunday requested it to bar the BRS from mentioning the disbursement of funds under the scheme during the poll campaign after the state finance minister made a public announcement about the Rabi instalment.

Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, farmers in Telangana are given Rs 10,000 per acre every year in two tranches in Rabi and Kharif seasons.

Earlier, the EC had on November 24 given a green signal to the state government to disburse the amount before November 28.

As the issue snowballed into a major controversy in the last leg of the campaign with the Election Commission on Monday withdrawing permission for the disbursal of funds, the BRS alleged that the Congress has "snatched" the payment from the farmers.

"Dirty politics of Congress has once again surfaced. They are delaying the payment of Rythu Bandhu, which is an ongoing payment. It is not an election promise. It is not a new programme that is made for the elections," BRS MLC K Kavitha told PTI.

Telangana Congress senior vice president G Niranjan had in a letter addressed to CEC Rajiv Kumar alleged that BRS leaders were making the EC's nod to disbursal of funds as a “tool to influence” voters as if they are giving it out of their own pockets.

But the Congress blamed the BRS for the situation, alleging that those ruling the state, in their desperation to hang onto power, have ended up denying what is due to farmers.

It alleged that the withdrawal of permission was the result of the "irresponsible and self-serving" approach of the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led party.

In its order, the EC said state minister T Harish Rao had violated the model code of conduct for elections and "disturbed the level playing field" by speaking about the release of money under the scheme.

"The Commission has observed that T Harish Rao, Minister of Finance and Heath and Family Welfare, Govt of Telangana ... has not only violated the provisions of MCC (model code of conduct)... but also conditions laid down as above by publicising the release under the scheme, and thereby disturbed the level playing field in the ongoing election process," the EC letter to the state chief electoral officer read.

Rao had reportedly said, "The disbursement will be made on Monday. Even before the farmers complete their breakfast and tea, the amount will be credited into their account .

In the letter, the Commission "directed that the permission granted vide its letter dated November 25, 2023 for disbursement of rabi season instalment under the ongoing Rythu Bandhu scheme during the currency of MCC, shall stand withdrawn immediately and there shall be no disbursement under the Scheme till the Model Code of Conduct in the State of Telangana ceases to apply in all its form"

The 'no objection' was granted, based on the premise that the scheme is an ongoing scheme and rabi instalments were disbursed during October-January in the past five years, the EC pointed out.

The Congress slammed the Bharat Rashtra Samithi over the EC's withdrawal of permission alleging it was a result of the “irresponsible and self-serving” approach of the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led party.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal said, “Due to the irresponsible and narrow self-serving approach of the BRS and Harish Rao, under the instructions of his boss KCR, the ECI has denied permission for the disbursement of the Rythu Bandhu installments.”

The money is the right of the farmers and it is what they deserve for their year-long hard work, he said.

“When this money is supposed to be released any time between October and January, it was the BRS' desperation which compelled them to make such irresponsible statements,” he said.

“Yet another sin committed by the BRS, which will not be forgiven by the farmers of Telangana,” Venugopal said.

Telangana goes to poll on November 30.