Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima recognised by UN: Pocharam Srinivas Reddy

Hyderabad: Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy on Monday said that Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima were the two schemes which found a place in the agricultural development programmes listed out by the United Nations (UN).

Speaking during the celebrations held by the TRS party leaders to mark Rs 50,000 crore deposit into the bank accounts of farmers ever since the beginning of the scheme, the Speaker said that apart from Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima was also introduced for the benefit of farmers and their family members. Earlier, the insurance companies used to have accidental insurance, but Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao extended the scheme to any form of death, he added.

Ridiculing the demand by the opposition to provide free fertilizer, Pocharam said that the Rythu Bandhu aid itself was provided to get necessary seeds and fertilizers and there was no point in demanding for the same again.

"I am a farmer with 10 acres of land and I have surrendered the Rythu Bandhu benefit to the government. The assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre is enough to get all the material," said Pocharam. Criticising the BJP leaders for targeting the Chief Minister, he said that these leaders should first bring out better schemes than the TRS and talk later.

Finance Minister T Harish Rao alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was against the farmers as he was the reason for deaths of about 500 farmers for protesting against the draconian three farm laws. He accused the Modi regime of killing farmers at Delhi borders seeking repeal of three black farm laws. The Minister slammed the BJP leadership for roping in Union Ministers and some CMs of BJP-ruled States to show the TRS government in poor light.

The Minister ridiculed that the Modi government copied the Rythu Bandhu scheme to give just Rs 6,000 to the farmers across the country. He lashed out at State Congress president A Revanth Reddy and State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar for their protests and blame game on Rythu Bandhu, GO 317 and others. "They have no right to talk about jobs, GOs, corruption and development," Harish said, adding that the two national parties dumped the people and farmers. He said that the opposition party leaders were enjoying Rythu Bandhu and blaming the KCR government.

Ministers T Srinivas Yadav, Mohammad Mahmood Ali, Srinivas Goud, Rythu Bandhu Samithi president Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLAs Danam Nagender and M Gopinath and others were also present.