
Come what may, the free 24-hour power supply to the farmers in Telangana will continue and there is no going back on it, said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. For decades, no political leader of any political party could achieve this feat. Only after the formation of separate Telangana, was it made possible. “I sat with the officers and technocrats for hours and debated at length on possibilities. At last, we succeeded in giving free 24-hour power supply to farmers,” he said addressing the party leaders at Pragathi Bhavan on Monday evening.
Bhuvanagiri Congress leader Anil Kumar Reddy and his followers joined the BRS party. Welcoming them, Mr KCR narrated how the young Telangana state faced challenges and overcame them in a short time. “If the farmers are happy, our villages will be happy. The farmers will feed all of us and the country. Hence, we accorded top priority to the welfare of farmers,” he said. With the free power supply, paddy production has gone up taking the state to top rank. There is no place to store and no mills or substations are enough to meet the demand.
Remembering the days of a short supply of water and power to the farming sector sends a chill in the spine. “Even those holding four, five or six acres of land migrated to cities and turned as auto-rickshaw drivers for their livelihood. What do you call that fate?” he posed. The Dharani portal was put in place after much deliberation and testing. It is a foolproof method aimed at protecting the interests of farmers. “None can change the land record and land rights except the owner of the land. It provided much-needed relief from the bribing, corrupt officials manipulating the records and court cases,” Mr KCR explained.
If Dharani is withdrawn as is asserted by Congress leaders, how will the farmers get Rythu Bandhu or Rythu Bima assistance that is being directly credited into their accounts? They have to go around the local officials greasing their palms and still be not sure of getting the benefit. Saying something is different from doing. It is not easy to deliver the promises like free power and cash assistance. People should not believe in word sellers who come around luring and promising heaven on earth, CM KCR said. The CM urged the newly joined cadre from the Congress party to work unitedly and strengthen the BRS in Bhuvanagiri and Alair constituencies.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao