HYDERABAD: The Telangana Congress on Friday criticised Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for turning a blind eye to about 8,400 farmers’ suicides in Telangana and instead planning a Punjab visit to give compensation to the farmers who lost their lives during the nationwide farmers’ agitation against the then contentious farm laws.
AICC spokesperson Dasoju Sravan, questioning the double standards of KCR, said, “Telangana CM KCR who can make even Machiavelli shameful in cheating people, is coming up with a new political drama. KCR is saying that he will console the families of Punjab farmers who lost lives during the nationwide protest against the farm laws and offer compensation. It is extremely ridiculous that CM KCR, who has turned a blind eye to about 8,400 Telangana farmers who committed suicide due to farm distress, is moved by the difficulties of Punjab farmers.
“If KCR was really so concerned about Punjab farmers, why did he support the farm laws brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and why didn’t he condemn attacks on farmers during the protests? This is nothing but the heights of crooked politics. KCR is trying to earn a space in national politics using farmers as pawns,” said Dasoju Sravan.
On Sunday, KCR is scheduled to visit Chandigarh to console 600 families of farmers who died during the nationwide farmers’ agitation. Rao will distribute Rs 3 lakh cheque as financial assistance to each family, along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The cheques will be given to the farmers’ families belonging to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
Sravan asked KCR to focus on the urgent issues plaguing Telangana farmers instead of wasting public money for his national political desire.
“During his Deeksha in Delhi, KCR announced that he will procure all the paddy within a week. But it has been more than 40 days and not even 40 per cent of paddy has been procured. Farmers are facing severe troubles due to unseasonal rains as the paddy is getting damaged due to rains. Instead of touring India for personal political ambitions, KCR should immediately focus on completing paddy procurement. Before offering compensation to Punjab farmers, KCR should first offer Rs 6 lakh as compensation for about 8,400 Telangana farmers who committed suicide in KCR’s eight-year rule according to GO 194.” added Sravan.
Sravan said that Congress will expose the failures of TRS through its statewide Rythu Rachabanda programme. “KCR has cheated Telangana farmers in every possible way. He is going all the way to Punjab to enact a political drama. But he did not have the heart to console Byagari Narsimlu, a farmer from his own Siddipet district, who committed suicide by recording it on video. KCR Sarkar did not even compensate for crop losses due to unseasonal rains in 2020,” said Sravan.
“KCR has also backtracked on his promise of loan waiver. He came back to power in 2018 promising that about Rs 20,389 crore of farm loans would be waived. But it has been more than three and half years and not even one crop loan has been waived. As a result, farmers are facing severe problems. As banks are not offering new loans, farmers are forced to go to private money lenders for loans at higher interest rates. KCR should immediately take steps to waive farm loans in one go. As the Kharif season is nearing, the CM should conduct a meeting with bankers and take up the issue of farmers’ loans,” demanded Dr Dasoju Sravan.
On May 26, the Telangana CM will visit Bengaluru where he will meet former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. The next day, he will go to Ralegan-Siddhi in Maharashtra where he is scheduled to meet social activist Anna Hazare. Later, he will go to Shirdi and offers prayers to Shri Sai Baba.
KCR is expected to visit West Bengal and Bihar on May 29 or 30 where he will meet the families of the soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley incident in 2020. The CM will extend financial support to bereaved families as announced earlier. (ANI)