BRS will win third term to sustain growth momentum in Telangana: CM KCR

Telangana stood out today as the most successful case study of afforestation after China and Brazil, said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday reiterated that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi would win the next polls by a sweeping majority and continue the growth momentum in the State.

Inaugurating the ninth phase of the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme by planting a sapling at Tummalur village in Ranga Reddy district, he exuded confidence that the BRS would certainly retain power and the State, which had come a long way in the BRS rule, would continue to grow.

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Stating that Telangana had emerged as the green State and the achievement of 7.7 per cent addition to its green cover had enormous effort and planning involved, the Chief Minister said Telangana stood out today as the most successful case study of afforestation after China and Brazil. Over five crore saplings were planted to arrest the menacing spread of the Gobi desert in northern China while some three crore saplings were planted as part of a similar drive in Brazil.

To address the denudation of forest soil, Telangana had taken up the Haritha Haram programme under which over 273 crore saplings were planted so far and another 20 crore were sought to be planted under the ensuing phase of the plantation programme, he said, recalling that Congress leaders had sounded skeptical of the programme even in the Assembly in the initial days.

It was however now an enormous success. People coming from outside the State could easily identified the State boundaries as the fast growing green cover helps them make out which part is of Telangana and which is not. The credit goes to successive Principal Chief Conservators of Forests, right from SBL Misra to the present incumbent RM Dobriyal, he said, adding that even the present Chief Secretary in her capacity as the Secretary of Forests had contributed her bit.

So was the case with elected representatives such as sarpanches at the village level who spearheaded the implementation of the programme in a big way. Calling for saplings of fruit-bearing trees to be distributed in a big way under the present phase of the programme, he said Rs 100 crore would be allocated for this purpose.

Assuring Forest personnel on the field of all support from the State government, he recalled that Forest Range Officer C Srinivas Rao was brutally killed by miscreants in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. To ensure that such incidents were not repeated, he said the government was considering establishment of forest stations with armed personnel on the line of the police stations.

About 20 such stations would be required to deal with forest related cases and protection of forest personnel, said the Chief Minister, who handed over a letter of appointment as Deputy Tahsildar to the wife of the slain forest officer. She was also granted monetary assistance.

Pointing out that the multi-stage Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Scheme would have been completed along with the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation scheme, he said the progress of works on the scheme however was scuttled by Congress-sponsored litigations. Unmindful of the people’s requirement for water in the region, Congress leaders moved even the Supreme Court resulting in stays on the works.

Over 85 per cent of the works were completed on the lift scheme. The government is striving to get the legal hurdles cleared to give water to the areas in its command area including Tandur, Vikarabad, Parigi, Chevella, Ibrahimpatnam and Maheswaram soon. The change in these pockets would be visible in a few more months, he said, adding that the Gandipet and Himayat Sagar reservoirs would be filled soon.

Recalling many people who opposed Statehood for Telangana had predicted doom for it, he said the same people were in for a surprise with the rapid strides made by the new State after 2014. Telangana, which ranked 14th or 15th in paddy production in 2014, had emerged as the number one producer of paddy. It could produce over 56 lakh tons as against 16 lakh tons by Andhra Pradesh, he said.