In what could be a setback to the ruling Congress in Telangana, the Election Commission of India has put on hold the disbursement of amounts under Rythu Bharosa (Rythu Bandhu in the past) till the completion of polling for the Lok Sabha election in the State slated on May 13.
The Commission said though Rythu Bandhu was an ongoing scheme and the disbursement of Rabi season should have been completed by January, it had found that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy violated the conditions laid down for the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by publicly speaking about ensuing disbursement under the scheme on or before May 9 which had also been reported in the media.
The Commission said Rabi instalment of Rythu Bandhu assistance was disbursed by the State Government during October – January in the last five years and there was neither any fixed date for disbursement prescribed in the scheme, “nor any special significance of disbursement in the month of May, 2024 for Rabi season of 2023”.
The ECI recalled that it had given no objection to the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu assistance in the State with the conditions that the State Government would follow the instructions contained in the Commission’s direction in its letter (dated October 5, 2018) and no DBT assistance would be affected during the silence period and poll day in the State. “Above said no objection was granted based on the premise that said scheme is an ongoing scheme and Rabi instalments were disbursed during October – January in the past five years,” the ECI said.
However, the commission withdrew the permission for disbursement of Rythu Bandhu assistance, in November 2023, in the context of a violation of MCC provisions by the then Finance Minister T. Harish Rao during the State Assembly elections in 2023.
According to the complaint received from N. Venukamar and the report received from the Chief Electoral Officer, the Commission found that Mr. Revanth Reddy violated the conditions laid down in this regard.
“In the above premise and clear violation of the MCC by Mr. Revanth Reddy, TPCC president, star campaigner and Chief Minister, the Commission has directed that disbursement of balance instalment of Rythu Bharosa (erstwhile Rythu Bandhu) scheme for Rabi season 2023 will be affected only after completion of poll in the State on May 13,” the Commission said directing the officials concerned to submit a compliance report in this regard on Tuesday itself.
