Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has cleared the air on continuing the Rythu Bandhu scheme without any restrictions, following a suggestion from the Agriculture Department that it should not be extended to farmers who cultivate paddy in the Rabi season. He said on Friday that the scheme would be continued as long as he heads the State.
He asked the party ranks to stage protests in different forms starting from the village level on December 20 against the Centre’s ‘attitude’ on procurement of paddy pertaining to Kharif season itself. According to party leaders, burning of effigies of the BJP-led Centre and Unions Ministers speaking ‘lies and spreading misinformation’ would be part of the protests.
The paddy procurement issue and implementation of Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu schemes came up for discussion at a meeting of the TRS executive chaired by KCR here on Friday. MPs, legislators, chairpersons of Zilla Parishads, DCCB and DCMS, and nominated chiefs of State corporations took part in the meeting.
The CM is understood to have said that he had given the word on the floor of the Assembly that he would “continue the scheme without any restrictions” as long as he leads the State.
He was said to have expressed anguish over the Centre’s stand and asked party leaders to explain facts to people and create awareness among farmers not to go for paddy in Rabi season as the Centre had made it crystal clear that it would no longer procure parboiled rice produced during the season.
He asked them to rebut the Opposition criticism on Dalit Bandhu or any other scheme of the State Government and stated that Dalit Bandhu would be extended across the State in a phased manner.
In a message to party leaders, particularly MLAs, the CM observed that some leaders were silent in constituencies and said that they would suffer if they continued to be dormant. He asked them to pull up their socks and become active and take everybody along to strengthen the party.
