Hyderabad: Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president N Ramchander Rao on Thursday, March 12, urged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to step out of his “air-conditioned rooms” and acknowledge the ground reality facing the poor, women, pensioners and unemployed youth in the state.
In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Rao said he was compelled to raise these issues directly with Revanth Reddy since Leader of Opposition K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) had ceased to represent the people’s concerns in the Telangana Assembly.
Rao flagged the demolition of over 700 huts and sheds in Velugumatla, Khammam district, on February 24 and the eviction of poor families from the banks of the Musi river in the name of the river beautification and Gandhi Sarovar Project.
Accusing the CM of succumbing to pressure from the Congress high command to fund upcoming Assembly elections in other states, Rao said the government had failed to honour its poll promise of Rs 15,000 per acre under Rythu Bharosa, settling instead for Rs 12,000 per acre. He also noted that the Rythu Bharosa assistance for the Rabi season, due in September-October, had not yet been released.
The BJP president questioned the government on fee reimbursement dues running into thousands of crores, and asked why the promised two lakh vacancies per year and an annual job calendar had not materialised.
On the education front, Rao alleged the chief minister was attempting to cut teachers’ salaries on the basis of the Telangana Education Commission report, instead of resolving their long-pending grievances.
He further stated that retirement benefit arrears of Rs 12,000 crore remained unpaid to retired government employees, citing the deaths of two pensioners – Maisaiah from Khammam and Khaja Moinuddin from Kothagudem – who, he alleged, could not afford healthcare after retirement.
Rao also raised the plight of Aasara pensioners, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities, saying delays in welfare pension payments were leaving them unable to buy medicines on time.
Pointing to a recent incident at Jadcherla Government Area Hospital, where a dog was filmed eating a body near the mortuary, Rao said it was a reflection of the “pathetic conditions” in the state’s health sector.
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