"They are delaying the payment of Rythu Bandhu, which is an ongoing payment."
Slamming the Congress for lodging a complaint with the Election Commission requesting it to stop the state government's proposal to make payment to the beneficiaries under the "Rythu Bandhu" scheme, BRS MLC K Kavitha on Monday said dirty politics of the grand old party has once again surfaced.
Reacting to the EC's withdrawal of the permission given to the Telangana government for disbursements of financial aid to farmers, she said the scheme is not an election promise and an ongoing one.
"Dirty politics of Congress has once again surfaced. They are delaying the payment of Rythu Bandhu, which is an ongoing payment. It is not an election promise. It is not a new programme that is made for the elections," she told PTI.
The EC on Monday withdrew permission given to the Telangana government for disbursements of financial aid to farmers for rabi crops under the Rythu Bandhu scheme after a state minister violated the provisions of the model code by making a public announcement about it.
Ms Kavitha said the Congress time and again has been complaining about this programme under which the BRS government has disbursed Rs 72,000 crore benefitting 65 lakh farmers in the past 10 seasons.
The BRS leader said she is requesting the farmers of the state to take note of the situation to realise that the Congress is the enemy which has snatched the payments under Rythu Bandhu and farm loan waiver.
Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, farmers in Telangana will get Rs 5,000 each per season, with a total of Rs 10,000 per acre annually.
The Congress on Sunday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to impose restrictions on BRS, not to mention the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu amount in their poll campaign.
Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao had made a public announcement about the release of disbursements of rabi instalments. He had reportedly said, "The disbursement will be made on Monday. Even before the farmers complete their breakfast and tea, the amount will be credited into their account."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)