Telangana, the ruling Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has promised a slew of sops for women, agricultural labourers, farmers, elderly and differently-abled including ₹3,000 monthly financial assistance for women, gas cylinders at Rs 400, housing for all and ₹5,000 pension for the elderly and destitutes.
BRS has tried to outmanoeuvre Congress, its principal challenger in the forthcoming Telangana Assembly elections, by promising in its manifesto sops like pensions about ₹500-Rs 1,000 higher and gas cylinders and other benefits about ₹100 cheaper than what Congress has promised in the state.
Congress had unveiled six guarantees for Telangana in September.
For women, Congress had promised ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance, free travel on Telangana State Roadways buses and gas cylinders at a cost of ₹500. BRS has promised ₹500 more to women with a monthly financial assistance of ₹3,000 and LPG cylinders at ₹400.
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had introduced the popular scheme Rythu Bandhu scheme which provides every farmer ₹10,000 per acre per crop assistance.
To counter this, Congress has promised ₹12,000 per year to all agricultural labourers and ₹15,000 to all farmers and tenant farmers in Telangana in its scheme Rhythu Bharosa.
KCR has topped this as well in the manifesto and now promised to enhance Rythu Bandhu scheme to ₹12,000 in the first year and gradually to ₹16,000 per acre over five years. BRS has been providing free electricity of 250 units for agricultural use and to washermen from Muslim community.
Congress has countered it by promising 200 units of free electricity under Gruha Jyoti yojana.