Congress to focus on farm sector

Mahbubnagar: The Congress manifesto for the 2023 Assembly elections in Telangana will have a special focus on the farming issues, which would be prepared after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, said senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi, who resumed his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Telangana on Thursday after a four-day Diwali break, had an interaction with farmers and farmers' representatives from different parts of the state. The suicides of tenant farmers, lack of crop insurance and disaster relief and problems concerning the 'Dharani' land records portal were discussed.

Addressing a public meeting later, Rahul Gandhi promised that if the Congress government comes to power in Telangana, he would ensure that the erroneous Dharani portal would be discontinued and the rights of the poor farmers particularly those who are owning the assigned lands and the rights of the poor tenant farmers were protected. Rahul Gandhi took a scathing attack on the TRS government for its faulty implementation of Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima schemes. He said the state government was doling out public money to the landlords and rich people who are not actually farmers.

They are either holding government jobs or doing some business, while the poor tenant farmers who are actually doing farming by taking the lands on lease are left unaddressed by the state government.

While highlighting the issues of tenant farmers, Rahul Gandhi pointed out that 80% of the suicides by farmers were committed by the tenant farmers.

He said after the formation of Telangana, the Licensed Cultivators Act was not being implemented. As a result, more than 20 lakh tenant farmers have been facing problems, he added.