The Election Commission of India has directed the Telangana government to halt the distribution of financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme. This action comes after state minister T. Harish Rao breached the poll code by publicly announcing the scheme's disbursement for Rabi crops.
In a notification, the Election Commission stated that disbursements under the scheme will be suspended until the model code of conduct no longer applies in all forms within the state of Telangana. The Commission highlighted that the Telangana minister not only violated the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but also disregarded the conditions by publicizing the release of funds under the scheme.
According to the MCC rule, once elections are announced by the commission, ministers and authorities are prohibited from announcing financial grants or making promises of any kind. T. Harish Rao, the Minister of Finance and Health and Family Welfare for Telangana, made statements regarding the Rythu Bandhu Scheme's disbursement before the poll date, which were widely reported in the media on November 26, 2023. The Commission observed that Rao, also a contesting candidate sponsored by the BRS Party from the 33-Siddipet Assembly Constituency in the ongoing general elections of Telangana 2023, violated the MCC provisions and disturbed the fairness of the ongoing election process by publicizing the scheme's release.
The Rythu Bandhu Scheme involves providing financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre per farmer each season directly to their accounts. This scheme has been a central point in the election campaigns of major political parties during the current elections.
Earlier, six days before the assembly polls, the Election Commission had approved the Telangana government's disbursement of the Rythu Bandhu incentive. However, the Commission clarified that the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme will remain unaffected during the silence period and on the poll day in the state.
In their election campaigns, BRS leaders emphasized how schemes like Rythu Bandhu contributed to the growth of agriculture and related sectors. The state is gearing up for polls scheduled on November 30, with a three-cornered contest expected between the ruling BRS, Congress, and a resurgent BJP.
During the previous Assembly elections in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), secured a significant victory, winning 88 out of 119 seats and obtaining 47.4 percent of the total vote share.
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