Hyderabad: BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday accused the Congress government of betraying ration dealers in Telangana by failing to implement its pre-election promises.
In a post on X, Rao said both the Centre and the State had ignored ration dealers by withholding commission payments for months. “It’s a shame that those who serve the destitute can’t feed their own families,” he said.
He reminded that Congress had promised a ₹5,000 monthly honorarium and a higher commission under the “Abhayahastam” scheme. But even after 22 months in power, the government has not delivered on these commitments.
Rao alleged that Congress used false promises to win votes and then pushed ration dealers into financial distress. Due to unpaid dues, many dealers were unable to celebrate Bathukamma, Dasara, or Diwali, he added.
Referring to the BRS government’s record, Rao said they increased the commission from ₹900 to ₹1,400 per metric tonne in 2023. Despite an added cost of ₹139 crore, the decision was made to support the dealers. The previous government also granted dealerships to 100 families of deceased dealers and raised the age limit for eligibility from 40 to 50 years.
“Over 17,000 ration dealers in Telangana saw real support only under the BRS government,” Rao said. He demanded that the Congress government release the six-month pending Central commission and settle the September dues immediately. He also urged them to officially launch the ₹5,000 monthly honorarium and raise the commission as promised.
నెలల తరబడి రేషన్ కమీషన్ చెల్లించకుండా కేంద్ర, రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వాలు రేషన్ డీలర్ల జీవితాలతో చెలగాటం ఆడటం దుర్మార్గం.
పేదలకు రేషన్ బియ్యం పంపిణీ చేస్తూ, వారి ఆకలి తీర్చుతున్న రేషన్డీలర్లకు.. కాంగ్రెస్, బిజేపీ ప్రభుత్వాల తీరుతో పస్తులుండే పరిస్థితి రావడం శోచనీయం.
రేషన్ బియ్యం… pic.twitter.com/GuH0vzmAMT
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) September 23, 2025