Congress to launch membership drive in Telangana from Sept 15

: The Congress in Telangana on Sunday said it would launch its state-wide membership drive from Mahabubnagar district on September 15.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the membership drive was being launched on the instructions of the high command.

He was addressing a press conference here along with AICC Telangana In charge R C Khuntia and Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

Reddy said the Congress had also decided to organise the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in a grand manner, during which party cadres would also propagate his ideologies and teachings in every village and town.

He said training programmes for all party workers were being designed at district-level and would continue even if municipal elections are held in the near future.

Referring to BJP's long standing demand to declare September 17 as "Hyderabad Liberation day," he said that party had played no role in the merger of Hyderabad state with the Indian Union and was 'misleading' the people on the issue.

He advised BJP leader Ram Madhav to read history before speaking about the issue.

"It was the Congress which merged Hyderabad with the Indian Union in 1948 and the same party granted statehood for Telangana in 2014," Reddy said.

The TPCC President alleged that the public health system has collapsed in Telangana with thousands of people getting affected with seasonal and other viral diseases.

He said Congress leaders would visit District Hospitals across Telangana on Monday to inspect the facilities available for poor patients.

He also slammed the TRS Government for the 'shortage' of urea and alleged that farmers were being forced to stand in long queues for several hours to get the fertiliser.

Reddy also alleged that nearly 50 per cent of farmers were yet to get the promised amount under the government's 'Rythu Bandhu' investment support scheme for agriculture.

He said the promise of waiver of crop loans up to Rs one lakh had also remained unimplemented.

To demand that the promises be fulfilled, the Congress would organise state-wide protests on September 11, he said.

Khuntia said that a committee, headed by the TPCC President, would conduct a probe into 'irregularities' in the construction of irrigation projects by the TRS Government and come out with a report within the next two months.

The report would be submitted to the Governor and union government, seeking action, he said.