Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS senior leader Harish Rao has accused the Congress-led Telangana government of sidelining the Rythu Bheema scheme, a crucial insurance initiative aimed at protecting the families of deceased farmers.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Harish Rao alleged that the Revanth Reddy-led government is dismantling the very foundation of the welfare scheme introduced by former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. “Rythu Bheema was launched with the intention of preventing farmer families from being left destitute in the event of a farmer’s death. Undermining such a program is an outright injustice,” he said.
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Under the Rythu Bheema scheme, the government is required to pay the insurance premium on behalf of the farmers, ensuring a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of any deceased farmer. However, Rao stated that the government has failed to pay the Rs 775 crore premium that was due in February, despite a lapse of over three months. “This negligence is now turning into a curse for farmer families,” he said, adding that nearly 100 farmers have died due to various reasons during this period, with families yet to receive compensation.
Harish Rao questioned whether the scheme is still operational or has been silently discontinued. He further criticized the government for failing to distribute Rythu Bandhu support during the monsoon season and for reneging on its promise to release pending funds by March 31. He also targeted the Congress for its unfulfilled loan waiver promise, stating that despite swearing on deities, the party has failed to implement the waiver for even half the farmers in the state.
“The affected families are enduring not only the emotional loss of a breadwinner but also severe financial distress due to the inaccessibility of insurance claims,” he added. Rao demanded that the Telangana government immediately disburse Rs 5 lakh compensation to the bereaved families and settle the pending premium dues with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).