Hyderabad/Nanded: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday announced that the party will contest every panchayat in upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra.
He was speaking at his second public rally at Kandhar Lohate in Nanded district of Maharashtra.
Replying to the comments made by Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who asked KCR to take care of affairs in his state, the BRS supremo said, “I am a citizen of India and I have work in every corner of the country. If Devendra Fadnavis gives an assurance, I will not come to Maharashtra. If you want to stop me from coming to Maharashtra, please do it. Otherwise, I will come again and again to Maharashtra and fight for the rights of the farmers.”
Stressing that the Telangana model, which provides free power, financial assistance, free water, an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to farmers, and all agricultural produce is procured by the BRS government, KCR said that the model should be applied across the country,
He further said that the Dalits and Adivasis in Maharashtra have been facing problems for several decades. “It is not a healthy sign for the country. In Telangana, we have good welfare schemes for Dalit families such as the Dalit Bandhu where Rs 10 lakh is provided to each farmer family in order to improve their living standards. Devendra Fadanvis ji, you implement the scheme in Maharashtra and I would not come here,” he reiterated.
KCR said that compared to other countries India is blessed with fertile soil with an abundance of rain and farming friendly environment.
“Our population is 140 crores. When I came to Maharashtra I noticed the land here is barren. Isn’t there water? There is a lot of water but no proper channelization for agriculture resulting in being wasted. There is no need for us to beg for water from any country. We need to ponder about why there is no water for farming and drinking,” KCR said.
Insufficient aid by the Maharashtra government: KCR
Taking a dig at the Maharashtra state government, KCR said that the Rs 6,000 assistance for farmers was inadequate.
“I came here only once and a provision to give each farmer Rs 6,000 per year was found in the Maharashtra budget. Why was it never done earlier?
“This aid is like sprinkling water on a fire. We do not want it. We want Rs 10,000 should be given to farmers per acre who can utilise it for investing in agricultural activities,” KCR said.
“Some eight-nine years ago, Telangana was in bad condition. Farmers were committing suicide in large numbers. But we changed the governance and reduced their burden. If Telangana can improve why a state like Maharashtra which has more resources, cannot improve?” he asked.
(With PTI inputs)