BRS MLA T Harish Rao Criticizes Telangana Government for Failing to Provide Rs 500 Bonus to Cotton Farmers
Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T Harish Rao sharply criticized the Telangana government on Friday, November 22, for its failure to provide a promised Rs 500 bonus to cotton farmers in the state. Rao, addressing a gathering of farmers at the cotton market in Khammam, expressed his frustration with the government’s handling of farmer welfare and agricultural issues.
Rao questioned the government’s commitment to the Rs 500 bonus, saying, “Only God knows about the Rs 500 bonus,” while adding that farmers in Telangana are struggling to secure even the minimum support price (MSP) for their cotton produce. He highlighted that while the MSP for cotton is set at Rs 7,500 per quintal, farmers in Telangana are only receiving Rs 6,500, a discrepancy that has caused widespread dissatisfaction among the farming community.
The BRS MLA also accused the Telangana government of neglecting the needs of farmers, agricultural laborers, and other vulnerable sections of society. He called for the establishment of procurement centres backed by the Cotton Corporation of India to help farmers sell their produce at fair prices.
Rao further took aim at the state government’s failure to honor its promises under various welfare schemes. He alleged that farmers were misled with false assurances regarding loan waivers and criticized the government for not disbursing the Rs 15,000 promised to farmers under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. In addition, he condemned the Congress-led government for failing to provide Rs 12,000 to agricultural laborers, a promise that had been made during the elections.
The former Telangana finance minister also pointed out the dire situation in Khammam district, where 4 lakh metric tons of semi-finished cotton had been harvested, but only 19,000 metric tons had been purchased by the government so far. This undersupply of procurement has left farmers in a precarious situation.
Rao concluded his remarks by asking whether any farmers had actually received the much-discussed Rs 500 bonus, emphasizing the gap between government promises and the reality faced by the agricultural community.
