EC Stops Rythu Bharosa Payout Till TS Poll Day

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday ordered the state government to stop the disbursement of financial assistance to farmers under the Rythu Bharosa (erstwhile Rythu Bandhu) scheme. The ECI said the disbursement of balance instalments for Rabi season 2023 should be made only after the polling day of May 13. The poll panel was responding to a complaint given by one N. Venu Kumar.

The state government has paid the benefit to farmers having less than five acres of land. Following the criticism that the Congress government had



failed to implement the previous government’s flagship programme, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy recently announced that the remaining farmers would be paid before May 9. Accordingly, the state government started disbursing the amount from Monday. 

The ECI in a letter to the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that the Chief Minister publicly speaking about ensuring disbursement under the Rythu Bharosa scheme on or before May 9, was a violation and it has also been reported in the media.