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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Free power to agriculture is bogus: Bandi

Telangana Rastra Samiti (TRS) Government’s claim of providing round the clock uninterrupted free power supply to the agriculture is a sham as “it is free power in the farm fields and back breaking power bills at home”. With the latest power power tariff hike, upto ₹6,000 crore is being mopped up causing heavy financial burden on the households,” said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday.

“The KCR government has been misleading people on free power to agriculture and this bankrupt government is in no position to pay arrears to the power distribution companies to the tune of ₹60,000 crores. The next government will have to bear the brunt of this and it will be one of first things we will do when we come to power,” he said.

On the second day of his ‘Praja Sangrama Yatra’ in Jogulamba Gadwal’s Lingwai village, the party chief said the government has also increased the RTC fares and because the people are up in arms against these hikes, the Chief Minister took up protests against the Central Government trying to blame it for his “failures” and to “divert” the attention of the people.”

The BJP will agitate against the power tariff hikes till the government takes a back step as it had done with the paddy procurement, he said and appealed for support from the people. The MP said it was unfortunate that the KCR government has been claiming Central schemes as its own schemes like the free rice from the ration shops and others

The district lacked proper irrigation facilities and a health unit despite promises made during the elections. “Every section -- farmers, youth and the poor -- have been suffering under this regime. You should pull up the TRS functionaries when they ask for votes,” he said.

Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North East G. Kishan Reddy,who walked along with Mr. Sanjay Kumar, said the TS people have turned against the TRS and expressed the confidence the BJP will be voted to power in the next elections.

“Our party will provide a clean and honest administration if we are voted to power,” he said and accused KCR of playing “politics” with the Centre’s welfare schemes like subsidised food, free medicare, village infrastructure works and so on. “It is the Central Government which took care of common people during the pandemic with free foodgrains, medicines and vaccines. Funds for roads, toilets, power, gas connections et al are provided by the Centre’s but the TRS government has refused to implement ‘Ayushman Bharat’, crop insurance schemes,housing for the poor and others” he charged.

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