Telangana: EC revokes nod to Telangana to disburse money to farmers | India News

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Monday withdrew its conditional approval to the release of assistance for farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme in poll-bound Telangana, citing a recent statement by state finance minister T Harish Rao on the timing of the disbursal prior to poll day, which it noted was in clear violation of the model code of conduct and conditions laid down while granting “no objection”.
Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, farmers in Telangana are given Rs 10,000 per acre every year in two tranches in rabi and kharif seasons.

EC: Mantri violated code, upset level-playing field
The EC on Monday told the Telangana chief electoral officer to convey to the state government that its November 24 approval for the rabi instalment release shall stand withdrawn immediately and that there would be no disbursement under the scheme till the model code of conduct in Telangana ceases to apply. A compliance report is believed to have been submitted to the EC on Monday afternoon.
Sources said the EC’s total clampdown on distribution of assistance until after the polls points to its low-tolerance approach to repeated violation of its directions and pre-conditions by those in office. The EC is said to have deliberately skipped the usual process of issuing notice and seeking explanation from the minister by scrapping its approval right away.

It was barely three days ago that the EC had given a conditional go-ahead based on the premise that the scheme was an ongoing one and that rabi instalments had been disbursed during October-January in the past five years. Five riders placed while granting approval were reiterated: no addition of any new beneficiaries to the list; no publicity; no public function for disbursement of kits/items; non-involvement of any political functionary in the disbursement process; and payment of cash component through electronic transfer rather than by cheque.
Recalling Rao’s statement about the disbursement at a particular time before the date of poll, which was widely reported in the media on Sunday, the EC on Monday said it had not only violated the model code that restrains ministers and other authorities from announcing any financial grants in any form or promises thereof, but also the pre-conditions laid down in 2018 “and thereby disturbed the level playing field in the ongoing election process.”