Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has asked the party activists to widely spread the Congress leaders’ distressing view against 24×7 free power supply to agriculture.
In a teleconference held with the party activists on Saturday, he drew their attention to the statements of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy and other leaders that a mere 3-hour power supply was sufficient for 95% of the farmers and that free supply was not needed. He told them to rake up discussions in villages so that the anti-farmer view of the Congress was made known to people.
Mr. Rama Rao asked the party activists to hold farmers’ meetings for 10 days starting from July 17. Such meetings could be held mostly in the 2,601 Rythu Vedikas constructed across the State, and they should ensure the attendance of at least 1,000 farmers for each meeting.
The party working president said it was also the responsibility of the party legislators to organise such meetings, mobilise farmers and adopt resolutions condemning the statements of Congress leaders against free power supply. The meetings should also make a demand apology from Congress leaders to farmers.
Further, he suggested the activists to educate and enlighten people, particularly farmers, that support to Congress would lead to the withdrawal of free power supply to agriculture. They must also recollect the distressing experiences of farmers during the Congress rule when power to agriculture pumpsets was given only for a few hours in different spells including late nights and the incidents related to it such as death of farmers due electrocution, snake bites and others.
Mr. Rama Rao said as a disciple of former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu who remarked in 2001 that agriculture was not fruitful, Mr. Revanth Reddy was making such comments against free power to farming. He said the BRS government had ushered in several welfare measures to better the lives of 70 lakh farmers.
