BRS protests across Telangana against Centre's hypocrisy on MGNREGS funds

HYDERABAD: Leaders and activists of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Friday launched into protests all across Telangana resenting the anti-farmer policies of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and its step-motherly treatment of the state.

Demonstrations in the form of dharnas are being staged in all the district headquarter towns of the state, in response to a call given by the BRS Working President and IT Minister Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao on Thursday. The Minister took strong exception to the Centre's move asking Telangana to return Rs 151.91 crores of funds spent for the construction of foodgrain drying platforms in the state.

The Union Government, which has been creating a series of hurdles, especially with regard to Telangana's pro-farmer and welfare schemes, has once again resorted to a similar tactic by seeking recovery of the funds. The Centre contends that the construction of crop drying platforms was not permitted as per the act governing the works of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The Telangana government, spearheaded by KTR, exposed the hypocrisy of the Narendra Modi government which had no qualms in allowing the construction of fish drying platforms in states that have coastlines. The NDA government has been drawing criticism for treating states ruled by non-BJP parties, especially Telangana, with different yardsticks and a sleight of hand in releasing allocated funds.

To register protest against the Centre's bias against the state, dharnas and demonstrations were being taken up in all the district headquarter towns on Friday.

A 'rythu maha dharna' was staged in front of the Revenue Divisional Office in Siddipet. Besides the leaders and activists of the BRS, scores of farmers and ordinary people are participating in the agitation. Slogans were raised against the anti-Telangana and anti-farmer policies of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

Siddipet district BRS chief and MP Kottha Prabhakar Reddy, MLCs Yadav Reddy and Farooq Hussain and Zilla Parishad Chairman Roja Radhakrishna Sharma led the agitation.

A farmer dharna was also organised in the headquarter town of Medchal Malkajgiri district. Joined by farmers, BRS leaders and members squatted on the road and raised slogans agains the Centre. They demanded that the Narendra Modi government withdraw its orders to Telangana for the recovery of funds spent on foodgrain drying platforms.

BRS district unit president and MLC Shambipur Raju led the protest programme.