Congress ignored weaker sections after elections, alleges KTR

BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of failing to fulfil promises made to SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities. He alleged favouritism in awarding contracts, demanded repeal of GOMs 17 and sought a white paper on contractor funds.

Hyderabad: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress government for its failure to fulfil promises made to the SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the agitating contractors were keen to dig a political grave for the grand old party in the State. He was speaking at a protest meeting organised under the aegis of the SC, ST, BC and Minority Contractors Association (JAC) at Indira Park here on Saturday.

Prior to the Assembly elections, the Congress had announced 13 declarations, six guarantees and made 420 promises to different sections. However, after the elections, the Congress left all sections in a lurch, he said. Under the Chevella and Kamareddy declarations, the Congress party had assured the implementation of 18 per cent reservations for SCs, 12 per cent for STs and 42 per cent for BCs in government contracts.

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Leaving aside the promised 72 per cent reservations to these communities, the Congress government did not even provide 72 paise. Instead, it introduced arbitrary Government Orders (GOs), he pointed out.

The BRS working president alleged that conspiracies were hatched to hand over tenders to corporate companies by issuing GOMs 17. Through these orders, local and small-scale contractors were deprived of the opportunity to supply essential items such as vegetables, chicken, milk and bread to Gurukuls. “We will continue to fight until GOMs 17 is repealed and until contractors from marginalised and weaker sections secure their rightful share of contracts,” Rama Rao said.

After the BRS government returns to power in 2028, all efforts would be made to groom nearly 50,000 youth from the downtrodden and weaker sections of society to become contractors. He also alleged that, currently, contracts within the State were being awarded to a select few, especially Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s brother-in-law and Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s son.

Revanth Reddy awarded the Kodangal-Narayanpet Lift Irrigation Scheme contract worth Rs.4,000 crore exclusively to his own associates. Apart from this, contracts worth Rs.1,300 crore were being awarded not only to their relatives but also to BJP MP CM Ramesh, he alleged.

“The Congress government has incurred a debt of Rs.4 lakh crore so far and not even a single rupee has been allocated to contractors belonging to the SC, ST and BC communities,” Rama Rao slammed. He also demanded that the Revanth Reddy government release a white paper on the funds disbursed to small contractors and the debts incurred.

“Revanth Reddy ascended to power through the payment quota. He is not a regular CM but merely a ‘Renewal CM’,” Rama Rao ridiculed. Referring to the hardships being faced by the farming community, the BRS working president challenged Congress leaders to visit any village in the State. “People, especially farmers, are eagerly waiting for elections and are determined to bury the Congress government,” Rama Rao maintained.