Harish Rao lays foundation for 1000-bed hospital at Mahabubnagar

T Harish Rao said it was Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who completed irrigation projects in the erstwhile district

Mahabubnagar: Stating that former Chief Ministers YS Rajashekhara Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu were confined to laying foundations for irrigation projects in Mahabubnagar, Health Minister T Harish Rao said it was Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who completed irrigation projects in the erstwhile district and changed drought-hit lands into fertile lands.

Chandrababu Naidu had adopted the erstwhile Mahabubnagar but could not complete even a single irrigation project. Rajashekhara Reddy had planted trees as part of foundations but did not complete the works, Harish Rao said after laying the foundation for a 1000-bed hospital here on Thursday.

The hospital is being constructed at a cost of Rs.300 crore on the old Collectorate premises in the town.

Stating that the Telangana government had completed the Bheema, Nettampadu and Kalwakurthy projects and provided irrigation water to six lakh acres in the district, he said Mahabubnagar, which was once known for drought, was now a ‘fertile’ district.

People who migrated to other places were now returning to take up farming. Interestingly, workers from neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka too were now working in the agriculture fields of Mahabubnagar, he said.

Since the last eight years, Telangana has been demanding the union government to address the River Krishna water sharing disputes but there was no response. State BJP leaders never raise this issue with their high command and this shows their commitment towards Telangana, he said.

“Prior to the formation of Telangana, not a single medical college was sanctioned to erstwhile Mahabubnagar. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has sanctioned three medical colleges to the district,” Harish Rao said.

In the last eight years, the BJP–led union government had increased 71 per cent MBBS seats across the country against the 127 per cent increase by the Telangana government.

Likewise, in PG seats, the union government increased only 68 percent seats against 112 percent seats in Telangana, he said, adding that a notification for filling up 1147 Assistant Professors posts was already issued and that the exercise would be completed shortly.

Tourism Minister V Srinivas Goud and others also spoke.