'Wherever costs are rising, we will put up pictures of PM Modi': Telangana MLC

Taking a jibe at the Central government, Kavita said that the wealth of Telangana should grow so much that they would be able to give freebie pensions to every household in the State.

Nizamabad (Telangana): Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLC Kalvakuntla Kavita on Wednesday accused the Central Government of trying to derive ulterior benefits by appealing against welfare programmes.

Addressing a meeting on the distribution of new pensions in Nizamabad here, Kavita said a "needless ruckus" was created at a ration shop over the absence of PM Modi's photos. "The Union Finance Minister came to Telangana. It is good that she came, we are happy to receive guests. But she went to a ration shop and picked a fight with the Collector about the Prime Minister's pictures not being put up," said the MLC.

She then said, "Sitharaman ji, if you want the Prime Minister's pictures to be put up, we will surely do so. We will put them up on gas cylinders, packets of urea, petrol and diesel stations, oil and dal packets. Wherever the costs are rising, we will put up pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.

In a defiant tone, she reiterated that the wealth of Telangana should grow so much that the state would be able to give freebie pensions to every household. Kavita called upon everyone involved in public life to think about the statements being made appealing not to give freebies without considering how to root out poverty among the people. She asked whether the poor people should continue to rot in poverty forever and never have any chance to come up in their life.

MLC Kavita questioned how the poor people could get the much-needed support to improve their living conditions if the Government would not take up any support programmes for them. "Yesterday or the day before, our government gave benefits under Dalit Bandu scheme. If Rs 10 lakh financial support is given to each house, they will use this to set up some business. This way they can come up by crossing the poverty line", she said.

Kavita asserted that the Government in Telangana intended its welfare programmes to uplift the present and future generations of poor families. Pensions were given to the needy and many such benefits were being extended in fulfillment of promises to empower and involve people in creating 'Bangaru Telangana' (golden Telangana), she asserted and said with such initiatives, their state would stand at number one position in the entire country.

The TRS MLC said that when their party came to power eight years ago, the pensions were just Rs. 200 per head but their party regime began by giving Rs. 1,000. "At that time also, many people posed questions to KCR. They asked where KCR would bring the money to give pensions. But we never took a step backward," she said.