CM Revanth Accuses BRS of Rs.22,000 Cr Misuse in Rythu Bandhu

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said that the Rythu Bandhu scheme, introduced by the BRS government in 2018, had led to the misuse of nearly Rs.22,000 crore out of ₹72,817 crore disbursed over six years (2018-2023). As a corrective measure, the Congress government will launch a new initiative, Rythu Bharosa, commemorating the dawn of 2025.

Participating in the short discussion on Rythu Bharosa in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday, Revanth Reddy accused the BRS government of misallocating funds intended to support farmers, citing instances of rythu bandhu being extended to uncultivated lands, real estate ventures, hillocks, highways, mining and crusher units.

“Shall we continue extending it to mountains, stones and roads?” he questioned, highlighting land irregularities near Rajiv Rahadari in Gajwel constituency and Srisailam roads in Amangal.

Describing Rythu Bharosa as an ambitious and farmer-centric scheme, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of transparency and accountability. He invited suggestions from opposition parties and other stakeholders, aiming to finalise the scheme’s modalities to avoid its misuse.

“The government is committed to ensuring the welfare of farmers who depend on land and consider it their mother,” he said. He urged opposition leaders to provide constructive inputs, while taking a swipe at BRS leaders, suggesting that they should lower their heads in shame for their past failures.

Revanth Reddy held the BRS government accountable for high rates of farmer suicides during its ten-year tenure. He cited official data indicating 1,358 suicides in 2015 and 632 in 2016, adding that Telangana reported the second highest farmer suicide numbers in the country.

“It is shameful that a rich and surplus state witnessed such tragedies,” he remarked.

He contrasted this with the Congress government’s record, which waived ₹20,616 crore in farm loans for over 25 lakh farmers in just 27 days during its first year in office.

“We don’t consider this our greatness; we consider it as our responsibility,” he said.

Highlighting discrepancies in the BRS government’s farm loan waivers, he stated that out of Rs.27,000 crore promised, only Rs.16,143 crore was disbursed in the first term (2014-18), with the second term (2018-2023) achieving only Rs.11,909 crore. Of this, Rs.8,515 crore went toward interest payments, leaving Rs.3,384 crore as actual waivers.

“The previous government claimed it didn’t even have Rs.8,000 crore to support farmers. Now, they talk about welfare,” he said, accusing the BRS leaders of enriching themselves through 'fake title deeds' and 'dubious’ land classifications.

The Chief Minister emphasised that rythu bharosa would prioritise genuine farmers and exclude non-agricultural beneficiaries. The new scheme aims to ensure that government resources are channeled towards improving the livelihoods of land-dependent farmers and not wasted on layouts or undeveloped lands.

While expressing confidence in his government’s plans, the Chief Minister urged the opposition to contribute responsibly rather than indulge in rhetoric.

“If their suggestions are reasonable, we are ready to listen,” he concluded.