Stop farm aid till MCC is in place, EC tells T'gana

THE EC’S ORDER CAME THREE DAYS AFTER IT ALLOWED THE TGANA GOVT TO DISBURSE 25,000 PER FARMER FOR THE WINTER SOWING SEASON

- Aditi Agrawal and Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

Election Commission (EC) on Monday asked the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)-led Telangana government to stop disbursing financial aid under the Rythu Bandhu scheme for farmers until the model code of conduct is lifted in the poll-bound state, a direction that the ruling party said would cause an "irreparable loss" to the agricultural community as it urged the poll body to reconsider its decision.

The poll panel's direction, on Monday morning, came three days after it allowed the Telangana government to disburse 25,000 per farmer for the winter sowing season, as part of the biannual instalment under the scheme which was launched in May 2018.

ECI's decision was prompted by the actions of Telangana finance minister T Harish Rao, who, on Sunday, spoke of the impending disbursement at election rallies in violation of the model code of conduct (MCC).