Andhra moves HC against Election Commission orders to stall DBT payments

Andhra Pradesh is going to simultaneous polls on 175 state assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the fourth phase on May 13.

Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday moved the state high court against the orders of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to defer crediting of ₹847.22 crore into the accounts of farmers towards agriculture input subsidy and another ₹610.79 crore into the accounts of students towards post-matric scholarships under “Jagananna Vidya Deevena” scheme, till the completion of election process in the state, people familiar with the matter said.

The YSR Congress Party government argued that the schemes under which financial assistance was being given were not new (PTI)

Andhra Pradesh is going to simultaneous polls on 175 state assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the fourth phase on May 13.

In a lunch motion petition filed before the state high court, the YSR Congress Party government argued that the schemes under which financial assistance was being given were not new but ongoing schemes and hence, crediting of money into the accounts of beneficiaries could not be stopped. It said if the amount was not credited by May end, it would be lapsed, the state government’s counsel said.

Counsel for EC said the commission had not stopped the schemes, but only asked the government to defer the payment till the completion of elections next Monday. “There is no need for release of money so urgently,” the counsel said.

The high court said there were still 23 days left for the month to end and the government could wait. It asked the government to give a clarification to the EC and posted the hearing to Thursday, saying it would take up further hearing depending on the EC response.

On Monday night, the EC issued instructions to the state revenue department to defer depositing ₹847.22 crore towards input subsidy for the farmers, whose crops were damaged due to drought in the Kharif season in 2023.

Similarly, the commission also deferred the release of ₹610.79 crore for the students belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities for the academic year 2023-24 under Post Matric Scholarships (Vidya Deevena) till the completion of election process in the state.

YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday made a strong exception to the EC’s decision to defer deposition of money into the accounts of farmers and students. He alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was responsible for the EC’s decision to stop the ongoing welfare distribution in the state.

“They are putting pressure on the EC to stall DBT financial assistance on ongoing welfare schemes of the state like pensions, and input subsidy among others,” he said.

Senior TDP leader and former Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar said Jagan had approved the release of financial assistance to farmers and students in March itself. “But the money was not credited then. Now, just before the elections, he ordered crediting of money into the accounts of beneficiaries. He wanted to buy the votes with government money,” Kumar alleged.

Meanwhile, chief electoral officer MK Meena clarified to the reporters that the EC had not ordered stopping of any of the government schemes. “It only wanted the government to wait till the completion of elections on May 13,” he said.