Congress cheated differently-abled persons, says Harish Rao

BRS leader T. Harish Rao accused the Telangana Congress government of failing to fulfil its promise of a Rs 6,000 monthly pension for persons with disabilities. He alleged that beneficiaries were owed around Rs 66,000 each and announced a planned protest

Hyderabad: BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao accused the Congress government of betraying persons with disabilities by failing to fulfil its election promise of providing a monthly pension of Rs 6,000. He said the government owed each beneficiary around Rs 66,000.

Addressing the Samara Shankaravam meeting at Hastinapuram in the LB Nagar constituency on Saturday, Harish Rao said Telangana had around 5.11 lakh persons with disabilities.

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“If the promised monthly pension of Rs 6,000 had been paid for the past 33 months, each beneficiary would have received around Rs 66,000,” he said.

He reminded the Congress government of its other election promises, including free bus travel, reservations in local bodies and filling backlog posts. Not a single backlog post had been filled, he alleged.

Harish Rao questioned the Congress government’s contribution to the welfare of persons with disabilities. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had not increased the disability pension by even a rupee, while pensions were also not being paid regularly, he alleged. In some cases, pensions for three months were pending, he said.

“Are you planning to release six months’ worth of pensions just before the elections and try to mislead people? Persons with disabilities will not forget this betrayal,” Harish Rao said.

He said the BRS government had increased the pension for persons with disabilities from Rs 500 to Rs 4,016. During its 10-year tenure, around Rs 54,000 crore was spent on Aasara pensions, of which around Rs 10,300 crore was spent specifically on persons with disabilities, he said.

The KCR government had also provided 5 per cent reservation for persons with disabilities in double-bedroom housing and 4 per cent reservation in education and employment, Harish Rao said.

He alleged that the Congress government was spending money on beauty contests, football events, publicity and other programmes but had no funds for pensions.

Harish Rao further alleged that the government had sold government land worth around Rs 30,000 crore during its tenure.

“Government lands are being sold and valuable public assets are being handed over. There is money for all this, but there is no money for persons with disabilities. This shows the priorities of the Revanth Reddy government,” he said.

He said the government could not cite financial difficulties while spending large amounts on contractors and publicity.

“If thousands of crores can be paid to big contractors, why can’t the government pay pensions to persons with disabilities? People have a right to question the government about its priorities,” Harish Rao said.

He announced that the BRS would soon announce the date for a mass Maha Dharna at Indira Park in Hyderabad, demanding the fulfilment of promises made to persons with disabilities.