Congress will implement welfare and development programmes for the next 20 years, says Deputy CM Bhatti

Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka addressing a public meeting at Achampet on Monday after launching several development works.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has asserted that the Congress government will continue to implement the spree of people-centric policies for all round development of the State for the next 20 years.

After a decade of lull, people have started reaping the benefits of the welfare and development programmes launched by the people’s government in Telangana and these are set to continue for the next two decades. Telangana has become the role model for other States with several innovative programmes like caste census and other States are enquiring about the successful implementation of these programmes.

Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka was addressing a public meeting at Achampet on Monday after launching several development works. He launched a trenchant attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi alleging that the party led by Opposition leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao looted the State for 10 long years. “Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao is now lamenting that nobody is approaching him after losing power,” he said. He recalled that the previous government had kept payment of ₹10,000 crore dues to employees pending and the Congress government had cleared more than ₹8,000 crore in the past one-and-a-half years. The balance dues would be cleared in phases as the government had to spend huge amounts in the implementation of several welfare programmes.

He took objections to claims from a section that Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao was a ‘God-like figure’ pointing out that his own daughter MLC K. Kavitha had revealed that there were demons surrounding Mr. Rao. He recalled how youth who fought for separate Statehood in anticipation of jobs were denied employment opportunities during the 10-year tenure of the BRS. The Congress had however taken steps to fill 57,000 vacancies and process was on for filling 30,000 more vacancies in the coming days.

This was in addition to the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme that was aimed at providing self employment opportunities to left over eligible youth with an estimated ₹9,000 crore. “Why is Mr. Rao worried? Is it because the Congress government has been promptly giving minimum support price to farmers or because of the payment of ₹500 bonus to fine rice as assured?” he asked.

He said the ₹1 lakh loan waiver implemented by the BRS government in four instalments could not mitigate the farmers’ woes as the amounts were settled towards interest. The Congress government on its part had however successfully waived crop loans of ₹22,000 crore in one go. This was in addition to providing investment support of ₹12,000 a year to landless farmers engaged in tilling lands. The Congress government had also come up with the historic Nallamala Declaration a couple of days ago envisaging off grid power connectivity to tribal farmers with an estimated ₹12,600 crore. “Did the BRS president ever consider schemes for financial empowerment of tribals?” he questioned adding the government had enhanced the diet and cosmetic charges for hostel boarders in spite of the financial constraints facing the State.