Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday said though the country has made considerable progress post-Independence, it has not yet realized the expected goals.
Speaking after hoisting the National Flag at the Golconda Fort here on the occasion of Independence Day, he claimed that resources are not being utilized properly due to the inefficiency and bankruptcy of ideas of the rulers though the country is endowed with natural resources and hard-working people.
“People are suffering unnecessarily despite having everything,” he said.
The poverty among Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and backward classes was yet to be eradicated, he said.
Independence would have full meaning only when the resources are fully utilised and the fruits of development reach all sections of society, he added.
Alleging that all sectors in Telangana suffered immense damage in undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said Telangana faced discrimination and exploitation as leadership in the region supported the “leaders of the united state” and remained mum.
Life in Telangana 10 years ago was marked by dried agriculture crops and water bodies and all round despair, the CM recalled.
The BRS government which assumed office under such difficult circumstances took up the “reconstruction of Telangana” as a sacred duty, Rao said.
The state has achieved rapid progress since then and the government has put the state at the top in the country in many sectors.
Telangana is number one in the country now in per capita income and per capita power utilization, he said. The per capita income of Telangana is Rs 3,12,398.
Referring to the recent rains and flooding in the state, the Chief Minister said the government could prevent loss of life and property to a great extent.
The heavy rains made up for the rainfall deficiency during June and July and paddy is expected to be cultivated in a record 64,54,000 acres in the state, he added.
Rao, who highlighted the state government’s welfare schemes, said crop loans to the tune of Rs 37,000 crores has been waived in two phases in the nine and a half years.
While Telangana is achieving glory with paddy production reaching three crore tons, some are making wrong interpretations of farmers’ welfare, he alleged.
In an apparent reference to comments attributed to state Congress president A Revanth Reddy that three hours of power supply is enough for farmers against 24×7 power supply by the state government, he expressed belief that people would give an appropriate reply to such “anti-farmer attitude”.
Revanth Reddy, however, denied having made comments to this effect.
Accusing the opposition leaders of trying to stall the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project by filing cases in the green tribunal, Rao said the project has recently accorded environmental clearances due to the efforts of the BRS government.
He further highlighted other welfare measures, including distribution of ‘pattas’ to ‘podu’ (shifting cultivation) lands, double bedroom houses for poor, supply of piped drinking water to all households, Dalit Bandhu, distribution of sheep and fishings and hike in social security pensions.
He said one lakh double bedroom housing units built in Hyderabad would be distributed to the eligible poor from today.
He announced a new scheme to provide ‘frame looms’ to weavers.
Pointing to the steps taken by the government to improve the financial condition of state-run Road Transport Corporation (RTC) and the recent move to recognise the RTC employees as government staff, he alleged that “narrow-minded forces” tried to stall the ‘RTC bill’ meant for the purpose.
However, the RTC bill was successfully passed in the Legislative Assembly, he said.
Rao also spoke about several other new development and welfare initiatives in various sectors, including establishment of a medical college in every district, treating orphan kids as ‘state children’ with the announcement of an ‘orphan policy’ and the move to appoint a new pay revision commission (PRC) for government employees, regularization of panchayat secretaries and expansion of metro rail network in Hyderabad.
