Journalism of Courage
Telangana’s achievements in the agriculture sector will be one of the main talking points of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s address at the first public meeting of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Khammam, to be held on Wednesday. KCR will also be announcing his party’s national plans and policies, at the public meeting being seen by observers as a show of strength by Opposition parties against the BJP. A comprehensive policy on agriculture would be part of the BRS’s national plans. In his Makar Sankranti greetings, KCR said there should be a complete revolution in the country’s agricultural sector.
KCR said the progress achieved by Telangana’s agricultural sector has made it a role model for the entire country. He added that Telangana is the only state that has been spending lakhs of crores of rupees towards strengthening this sector. CM KCR said the government has spent over Rs 2,16,000 crore on Rythu Bandhu (the Telangana government’s farmer’s investment support scheme), 24-hour free power supply, and construction of irrigation projects. It is proof of Telangana’s commitment to farmers’ welfare, he added, saying that this farmer-centric approach would also be the BRS’s main national policy. He said agriculture, which was considered a futile profession, is now a fruitful one after Telangana instilled confidence among farmers that even relying on agriculture can give a bright life. The Chief Minister made it clear that such confidence can be instilled among the entire farmer community in India.
KCR asserted that it is imperative to lay a path for qualitative growth by changing the model being followed in the country’s agriculture sector, with the cooperation and collective efforts of people across India. Apart from agriculture policy, KCR is likely to announce policies on power supply to farm sector, including the promise of supplying 24 hours free power to farmers across the country. Reservations to Dalits in various sectors, irrigation and drinking water, and electrification of the country, are some other policies KCR will speak upon.
While the Khammam public meeting is officially meant for the launch of the second phase of “Kanti Velugu” — an eye check-up and screening camp, it will also be a show of strength by the Opposition, as KCR’s counterparts Arvind Kejriwal from Delhi, Bhagwant Mann from Punjab and Pinarayi Vijayan from Kerala, besides Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, will also be present. The Left parties have also thrown their support for KCR, saying they were united against the BJP. In fact, the CPI’s D Raja may also attend the meeting. The CM has also invited Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy.
Ministers P Ajay Kumar, who belongs to Khammam district, and T Harish Rao, are touring the undivided district to mobilise support for the public meeting, which is expected to be attended by over a lakh people. “In 2001, a public meeting ahead of the formation of TRS attracted over a lakh people. I’m sure the first meeting of the BRS would be attended by over 3 lakh people. TRS cadre and supporters from other districts will also attend the meeting,” Rao said.
