Union Minister makes contradictory statements on much-hyped BJP chargesheet against TRS
Hyderabad: The much-hyped BJP chargesheet against the TRS rule turned out to be a damp squib. The party continues to rely on spreading lies and half-truths targeted at the TRS rule in the State in its attempt to win votes in the ensuing GHMC polls. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar did not think twice before making contradictory statements on various schemes being implemented by the State government.
Seeking to corner the TRS government ahead of the GHMC elections, Javadekar asked about the developmental works that the government has done in Hyderabad and released the chargesheet, which he termed as failures of the State government.
He targeted Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and the State government over construction of one lakh double bedroom houses, but ended up making contradictory statements. He said the State government promised one lakh double bedroom houses in Hyderabad, but did not construct even 2,500 houses within 30 km radius of the city.
“The Centre released funds for the housing scheme. But the State government added an additional room and changed the name. It was just politics, nothing else,” he said. However, minutes later, he gave a contradictory statement saying that Chandrashekhar Rao did not implement Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and also Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. “Had the Chief Minister opted for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the State would have got 10-15 lakh weaker section houses,” he claimed.
Referring to the recent heavy rains in Hyderabad, which recorded the highest rainfall in last century, Javadekar said the TRS government which promised to turn Hyderabad into a global city, had turned it into a flood city. He alleged that the TRS leadership distributed Rs 10,000 financial aid only to fill the pockets of its party leaders and resorted to a scam. However, he evaded questions on the Centre’s lack of response to Chandrashekhar Rao’s request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 1,350 crore towards immediate flood relief.
The Union Minister said the TRS government did not fulfil its promise of one lakh jobs. “They promised to transform the water of Hussain Sagar lake to coconut water but now today every drainage and sewerage water goes there,” he added. He claimed that though the Covid-19 was covered under Ayushman Bharat, the State government refused to adopt the scheme and was not providing treatment for the epidemic under the Aarogyasri scheme.
On the Chief Minister’s allegations that Prime Minister Modi was selling the Railways and the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, Javadekar said that there is no disinvestment in Railways and LIC. “Everything is a rumour,” he said, adding the TRS should first answer on their promises of corruption, employment and development.
Javadekar claimed that the AIMIM had a closed-door understanding with Chandrashekhar Rao even as Owaisi said they were contesting against the TRS. “In Hyderabad, the question is that whose Mayor you want — AIMIM or BJP? Voting for the Congress and the TRS means voting for AIMIM and voting for AIMIM means voting for the division.” However, he did not elaborate on the term ‘division’.
Javadekar, along with BJP leaders including BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and MP D Aravind, released the chargesheet on the alleged failures of the TRS in Hyderabad. He claimed that the Dubbak elections had shown the BJP wave in Telangana and the party was only turning it in its favour to win GHMC polls.
1. TRS promised a Global City and gave people a Flood City
Fact: Hyderabad was ranked top among the Mercer’s Quality of Living (India) rankings for sixth consecutive year; bagged 143rd position globally along with Pune
2. KCR promised 1 lakh jobs. Except for a few, no jobs were given
Fact: Through TS-iPASS, about 13,803 companies invested over Rs 2.04 lakh cr creating 14.48 lakh jobs in private sector. Even during the pandemic, the State received Rs 6,066 cr investments, including Rs 20,761 cr investment by Amazon and Rs 500 crore by Centre’s National Payment Corporation of India in Hyderabad
3. During floods, govt did not release any funds. They released financial relief after two months and the aid reached only a few people
Fact: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao wrote letter to PM Narendra Modi on October 15, seeking Rs 1,350 cr as immediate Central financial aid. A Central team also visited the State to assess the damage, but there has been no help so far. Instead, the Chief Minister announced a financial package of Rs 550 cr on October 19 to provide immediate relief to people even as heavy rains flooded the city. While distribution of Rs 10,000 towards immediate relief for each flood-hit family has reached over 4.8 lakh families, the Opposition lodged complaint with the SEC to stop the same
4. TRS promised 1 lakh double-bedroom houses in Hyderabad. It used Central funds sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and provided funds for an additional room to rename the scheme and publicise as its own. So far, not even 2,500 houses have been completed. I was told that only 1,000 houses were constructed that too about 30 km away from Hyderabad
Fact: Prakash Javadekar contradicted his statement at the press meet. He stated that the TRS govt was not implementing the Central govt schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Fasal Bima and even Awas Yojana. He said the Centre could not give 10-15 lakh houses under PMAY as Chief Minister opted out of these schemes.
5. TRS promised to develop Hussain Sagar with water being made as pure as coconut water. But the government is releasing sewage water into the lake
Fact: Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is constructing 17 new sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 376.5 MLD in Hyderabad in the catchment area of Hussain Sagar. The State govt issued orders on Sept 11 this year, sanctioning Rs 512.35 cr, which is 40% of the total estimated cost of Rs 1,280.87 cr
6. TRS promised 15 dumping yards and not even one is ready
Fact: Hyderabad stood as best capital city in India in ‘Best Solid Waste Management’ in Swachh Survekshan by the Union govt.
7. During Covid pandemic, Chief Minister was either in Pragathi Bhavan or Farm House. People were left to fend for themselves. Ayushman Bharat Yojana could have provided Covid cover to poor people to obtain free treatment. Aarogyasri does not cover Covid and hence, people had to spend Rs 10-20 lakh for treatment in corporate hospitals
Fact: Telangana recorded a Covid recovery rate of 94.5%, better than national average of 93%. The State govt upgraded its hospitals and created dedicated facilities for Covid treatment. Telangana was the first to alert the Centre on the Nizamuddin Markaz of Tablighi Jamaat which emerged as Covid hotspot. Covid treatment was allowed in private hospitals only after the govt hospitals were filled to their capacity and the Opposition parties demanded for allowing treatment in private hospitals. Further, restrictions were imposed on the private hospitals against charging people beyond the prescribed charges
8. Telangana’s borrowing increased severely during the TRS rule and these funds are being diverted to create assets for the CM and his family members
Fact: For the first time, the outstanding debt of the Central govt crossed the Rs 100 lakh cr mark ($1.26 trillion at current exchange rate) at the end of June this year. Telangana public debt is expected to touch Rs 2.29 lakh cr in 2020-21. The average per capita income of Telangana increased by 12.2% and India by 9.9% between 2012-13 and 2019-20
9. Land Regularisation Scheme is another big scam. People whose properties have been registered, are being forced to spend more than the property value towards regularisation charges
Fact: Registered properties located only in illegal or unapproved layouts need regularisation under LRS. Property owners are required to pay regularisation charges calculated based on the registration value of the property at the time of its registration, unlike other States which are collecting regularisation charges based on the current registration value
10. Development of new parks remained just a promise
Fact: As Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Javadekar convened a meeting of Environment and Forest Ministers from all States in December last year. He praised the efforts of Telangana in increasing the green cover in the State to 33% through Haritha Haram
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