Telangana leading all states in welfare schemes: KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said Telangana is leading all the states in the country in welfare schemes for poor and weaker sections.

He announced that the government will launch next month a scheme under which two-bed room houses will be constructed for poor.

Addressing a mammoth public meeting here to mark the formation day of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), he declared that the poll promise of free education from KG to PG will be implemented on pilot basis from the next academic year.

KCR, as the TRS chief is popularly known, announced that he would soon lay foundation stone for Palamuru, a major irrigation project to irrigate 12 lakh acres of land.

TRS leaders claimed that about a million people attended the public meeting on Parade Grounds. This was the first massive show of strength by TRS after formation of Telangana state in June last year.

Stating that he achieved the goal of separate Telangana state with the blessings of people, the chief minister said he was now working round-the-clock to fulfill the dream of 'Bangaru' (golden) Telangana.

KCR, who floated the TRS in 2001 to revive the Telangana movement, spoke in detail about the struggle and the sacrifices made by the party cadre and all sections of people during last 14 years.

Pointing out that 80 percent of Telangana's population comprises scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities and other weaker sections, he said the dream of golden Telangana can be achieved only with their welfare and development.

Giving a detailed account of the schemes implemented by his government during last 11 months, KCR claimed that Telangana is the only state in India which is spending a whopping Rs.29,000 crore annually on social security pensions and the welfare of marginalized sections.

"We are doing this with our money, which was earlier being diverted to Andhra," the TRS chief said.

He said the government also implemented the promise of waiving farm loans by spending Rs.17,000 crore.

Claiming that the government has overcome the electricity shortage, he promised that they will be not power cuts from next year. He assured farmers that they will get uninterrupted power supply for nine hours a day.

Speaking about the Water Grid his government is building to ensure drinking water supply to every house in the state, he reiterated that if TRS failed to fulfill this promise, it will not seek votes in the next elections.

KCR said the government was trying to revive the lakes across the state through another ambitious programme Mission Kakatiya.

The chief minister assured unemployed youth that one lakh vacancies in the government departments will be filled over next two years. He said the TRS also standby its promise to regularize all contract employees.

He also reiterated that Hyderabad will be developed at par with Dallas and Singapore by providing all basic amenities and the best infrastructure to people.

The chief minister also used the occasion to target his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu, who last week visited Telangana's Mahabubnagar district and vowed to give KCR sleepless nights.

The TRS chief said Naidu should bother about his own state, which is facing many problems. He also alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief went back on his poll promises to waive all loans of farmers and women's thrift groups.