On Monday, the Election Commission (EC) revoked the approval granted to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana for disbursing financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme for cultivating rabi crops.
The EC cited a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) following a public statement made by a state minister. Launched in 2018, the Rythu Bandhu scheme provides cash grants of Rs 5,000 per acre for a crop season to support farmers in addressing contingencies and enhancing agricultural production.
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The EC had initially granted “no objection” to the Telangana government for the disbursement of financial aid to farmers during the October-January period under specific conditions. One of these conditions was that the state government should refrain from publicizing the disbursement after the MCC came into effect.
The EC’s decision to withdraw permission came in response to the statement made by state finance minister T Harish Rao, who is also a contesting candidate from the BRS. The EC stated that the minister’s remarks violated the poll code and disrupted the level-playing field in the election process.
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