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After taking cognizance of the attempts by Chief Minister of Telangana Revanth Reddy to claim credit for the disbursement of the Rabi Instalments under the ongoing 'Rayathu Bharosa' scheme and violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by making statements to the media, the Election Commission of India on Tuesday has ordered deferral of the undisbursed instalments till May 13.
This decision comes in response to an inexplicable and abnormal delay in the disbursement process which usually happens in the month of Nov-Dec, coupled with concerns over attempts to politicise the ongoing scheme during the General Elections 2024. Election Commission officials said that Gross MCC violation by Telangana Chief Minister by linking the disbursement of Rabi Instalments under the 'Rayathu Bharosa' scheme to his public announcements. Such actions are deemed as attempts to influence voters and disturb the level playing field. It is worth noting that similar directives were issued during the Telangana Assembly elections in 2023 for the Rayathu Bandhu scheme. In that instance, a Minister of the erstwhile BRS government violated MCC by attempting to take credit for the scheme's disbursement during the election period. In light of these concerns, the ECI has directed the deferment and a directive has been issued to the Telangana government. Officials said that this decision is aimed at ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and preventing the misuse of government schemes for electoral gains. Any attempts to politicise or exploit such Government schemes for electoral purposes will be dealt with firmly to uphold the sanctity of the democratic process. (ANI)
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