The Congress government in Telangana has come under fire from the Opposition BRS and BJP over its decision to provide a bonus of Rs 500 on MSP to farmers cultivating only the finer variety of rice. The Cabinet’s decision to invite Sonia Gandhi to the decennial celebrations of the state’s formation also was questioned by the BJP.

Slamming the state government’s decision, BRS leader KT Rama Rao pointed out that during the Assembly elections, the Congress had promised Rs 500 as a bonus over MSP on any variety of rice but now decided to extend the bonus to only fine variety of paddy.

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“In the guarantee card (of Congress) announcing a bonus of Rs 500 for rice crop, now restricted only to the finer variety,” Rao said, accusing the Congress of indulging in deceit and fraud. He went on to accuse it of being an anti-farmer government that denied water and power, leading to the drying up of crops and now refusing to buy the paddy which got wet due to unseasonal rains.

The BJP also lambasted the Congress government for its decision to give bonuses to farmers cultivating the finer variety. BJP’s official spokesperson NV Subhash said that the cheating tactics and techniques of the Congress party were exposed once again with the cabinet deciding to extend the bonus only for fine variety paddy instead of all varieties.

Subhash said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had promised to extend a bonus for paddy without mentioning the variety and now offering to limit it to fine variety and wondered how long the government would cheat the farming community. He demanded that the bonus should be extended to all the farmers.

Referring to the state Cabinet’s decision to invite AICC leader and Rajya Sabha member Sonia Gandhi to the decennial celebrations of Telangana formation, the BJP leader questioned why she was being invited to the event.