Hyderabad: Underlining the rapid progress achieved by Telangana since 2014 and the welfare schemes being implemented by his government, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday said people should re-elect the BRS once again to ensure uninterrupted welfare and development in the state. Rao addressed a public meeting at Medak after inaugurating the district collectorate complex and attending other development programmes.
While his government is providing 24x7 free power supply to farmers, the opposition Congress says that three hours of free power supply is enough and the BJP favours installing electricity meters to agriculture pump sets, he claimed. The BJP-led government at the Centre caused a loss of Rs 25,000 crore to Telangana for not setting up agriculture pump sets, Rao alleged.
"Though a loss of Rs 25,000 crore is caused, we (state government) suffered it. I said we will not install (electricity) meters even if I lose my life," he asserted. Congress made lot of promises in neighbouring Karnataka before elections but its government is only providing power for seven hours to farmers, he said. Rao, who spoke about other welfare schemes of his government including 'Mission Bhagiratha', 'Rythu Beema', farmers' loan waiver and 'Kalyana Lakshmi', said Telangana is the only state in the country that provides tapped water supply to 1.03 crore families in their homes under Mission Bhagiratha.
Referring to the Congress leaders' comments of shutting down the 'Dharani' integrated land records management system brought in by the BRS regime, Rao said the system ensured that the record of ownership of farmers' land can be changed only with the fingerprint of the owner and not by anyone else. "Should Dharani continue or should it be removed?" he asked the gathering. If the Dharani portal is abolished, it will bring back the old system of people going around offices, he said.
The Chief Minister said farmers in Maharashtra, during his visits to the western state to expand the BRS, are seeking implementation of the schemes being implemented in Telangana. Rao, also known as KCR, said people should not believe those who are not sincere (a veiled reference to opposition parties) and bless the BRS in the coming elections. On August 21, he stole a march on the opposition Congress and BJP by announcing 115 candidates for the total 119 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls. The schedule for the Assembly elections, which is expected to be held in the next few months, is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. (PTI)
