BRS govt planning to pay out Rythu Bandhu funds to favourite contractors: Congress

Hyderabad, Dec 2: The Congress on Saturday alleged that the BRS government in Telangana was planning to disburse large payments of Rs 6,000 crore from the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme to their “favourite” contractors in an “illegal manner” when the Model Code of Conduct is still in force.
The MCC came into force on October 9 for the assembly polls that were held on November 30. The counting will take place on December 3.
In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner and submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj here, the Congress leaders urged that the state Chief Secretary be directed to follow proper and due process to ensure that the present BRS government does not misuse its powers during MCC.
“The BRS government is in (its) what is likely, the last two to three days,” the memorandum, signed by leaders including PCC president A Revanth Reddy, said. “The model code of conduct is in place in Telangana. Since ECI did not permit disbursement of Rythu Bandhu under the period of MCC, the government of Telangana is planning to disburse the same amount to favoured contractors for receiving commissions/kickbacks,” it said. Large payments of Rs 6,000 crore are being made to their favourite contractors on an out of turn basis and not in serial order of those waiting for payment, it said. “In the last two-three days in power, when MCC is in place, the government of Telangana is disbursing Rs 6,000 crore to selected contractors in an illegal manner,” it said.
The party also alleged in the memorandum that the Dharani integrated land records management system is being misused to change land title records. “As regards thousands of acres of assigned lands in Ranga Reddy, Sangareddy and Medchal districts which were assigned lands as per previous land records, Dharani portal is being misused to change land title records. These properties are being transferred to the benamis of the chief minister’s family members,” it said. “Assigned lands” refer to pieces of land given by the government to the landless poor. (PTI)