Congress leader’s remark on free power for farmers sparks row

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A war of words has erupted between Governor Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress in Telangana over Pradesh Congress Committee Chairman A Revanth Reddy’s comment that farmers need only three hours of power supply to irrigate their lands.

The ruling party, led by its working chairman K.T. Rama Rao, launched a scathing attack on Congress, his main rival, claiming he would get rid of his 24-hour free energy supply if power was voted on.

Condemning the “anti-farmer” stance of Congress, Rao asserted that free electricity was an essential lifeline and that Congress threatened to cut it off. “This reflects Congress’s malevolent mentality and indifference to the farming community,” he said.

Party colleagues Kavitha and Dasu Jo Shravan, and Ministers S Niranjan Reddy, T Harish Rao, Janjula Kamalakar and Indrakaran Reddy joined in condemning Statement Reddy.

The state government has allocated Rs 12,000 crore for the free power supply scheme, increasing the allotment by 14 per cent. It spent around Rs 50,000 crore over 2014-15 and 2021-22. There are about 27 lakh agricultural pumps in the state.

Congress denies the allegations

The Congress party denied the ruling party’s allegations and accused it of taking the conference president’s statements out of context.

Congress leader and leader of the Congress Legislative Party Bhatti Vikramarka denied the ruling party’s allegations, saying that it was the Congress that provided free 24-hour energy supply to farmers in 2004.

“There is no turning back. We will continue the scheme,” he said.

Reddy alleged that the BRS government did not supply quality power even for 12 hours. “Government is fooling farmers by claiming to provide power for 24 hours. Power companies are being pushed into a debt of Rs 60,000 crore.

More than 95 percent of farmers own only three acres or less, said Reddy, who is touring the United States, on Tuesday. They would require three hours of energy to irrigate those three acres. Even if you save eight hours of high-quality energy, it will do. “They don’t get very good power,” he said during a discussion with a group of NRIs. He alleged that the government was taking bribes under the guise of purchasing power for the free energy scheme.

However, these statements sparked a row in the state, with BRS leaders claiming that Congress was against the free power scheme.