The Election Commission (EC) on Monday (November 27) revoked the permission given to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana for disbursing funds to farmers through the Rythu Bandhu Scheme.
The poll body cited a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) after a state minister made a public statement on the initiative.
Telangana, which has 119 assembly seats, will head to polls on November 30. The counting will take place on December 3.
Election Commission (EC) withdraws the permission given to the Telangana government to disburse the financial assistance under Rythu Bandhu scheme.
— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2023
EC says, "There shall be no disbursement under the Scheme till the Model Code of Conduct in the State of Telangana ceases to apply… pic.twitter.com/Vxp1pq6JnH
The Rythu Bandhu Scheme, also known as the Farmer's Investment Support Scheme (FISS), was introduced by the Telangana government in 2018 as a welfare initiative for farmers.
Under this scheme, Telangana's government disburses Rs 5,000 per acre to farmers as an investment for two crop seasons, supporting both kharif and rabi harvests.
This financial aid is granted biannually, making it the country's maiden direct farmer investment support program where cash is directly transferred to the beneficiaries.
Telangana's Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, allocated Rs 12,000 crore from the state budget for the scheme's implementation.
Rythu Bandhu has become a significant aspect of election campaigns, attracting attention from major political parties.
The Election Commission had earlier permitted the state government to provide financial aid to farmers during the election period but with strict conditions, one being the prohibition of public announcements or promotions of payments at this time.
However, a breach of this condition occurred when a state minister publicly disclosed information about the payments, prompting the Election Commission to withdraw its approval.
The direct cash transfer to farmers through Rythu Bandhu was perceived as potentially influencing election outcomes in favor of the ruling Bharat Rastra Samithi (BRS) party.
The EC had previously approved the disbursements under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), specifying stringent conditions for the Telangana Government to adhere to, including refraining from adding new beneficiaries, avoiding publicity, and excluding political officials from the disbursement process.
#TelanganaAssemblyElections2023#BREAKING: Reason for REVOKING THE PERMISSION FOR DBT OF RYTHU BANDHU #TelanganaElection2023 pic.twitter.com/ADjDOiBsmF
— Gururaj Anjan (@Anjan94150697) November 27, 2023
The Election Commission received a report from the state's Chief Electoral Officer citing a public discussion by Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao about the Rythu Bandhu scheme's disbursement before the poll date, violating the MCC's guidelines.
Consequently, due to this infringement and non-compliance with the conditions set during the 'no objection' approval, the Election Commission revoked the permission granted for the Rabi season installment disbursement under Rythu Bandhu.
This directive halts any disbursements until the Model Code of Conduct ceases to apply entirely in Telangana.