KT Rama Rao questions Congress over hypocrisy on Formula-E race, Miss World pageant

Says Tesla was exploring India, and Telangana lost a golden opportunity to bring it here

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao hit out at the Congress government for its double standards, questioning how it could justify spending Rs 54 crore on the upcoming Miss World beauty pageant, while cancelling the Formula-E race without the Cabinet approval. He questioned how the government could justify spending public funds on an international beauty pageant which lost relevance globally while claiming that Formula-E was an unnecessary expense.

“They cancelled Formula-E without Cabinet approval, citing financial concerns. But now, they are eager to spend Rs 54 crore on a beauty pageant, claiming it will boost tourism and employment. The government must explain how it is possible,” he said during a discussion in the Assembly on Tuesday.

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The BRS working president criticised the Congress for scrapping the Formula-E race, which was aimed at attracting global investments. “Tesla was exploring India, and Telangana lost a golden opportunity to bring it here by cancelling an internationally reputed event like the Formula-E race,” he said, adding that the event attracted huge investments like Amararaja Batteries at Divitipally, Mobility Valley at Yenkathala and manufacturing units at Zaheerabad.

Rama Rao also called out the Congress for double standards on leasing government assets. “As the opposition, they criticised our decision to lease the Outer Ring Road on a Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) basis for 33 years. But now, their new tourism policy proposes leasing government lands for 99 years to private players which is nothing but life-time. Isn’t this the same policy they opposed?”

In a sharp counter to Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao’s claims that no tourism development took place under BRS, the former Minister listed major projects undertaken, including the restoration of Quli Qutb Shah tombs, MJ Market and Mir Alam Tank, as well as the transformation of Yadadri temple and irrigation projects like Ranganayaka Sagar, Mallanna Sagar and Kondapochamma Sagar into tourist spots.

He reminded that the previous BRS government hosted the World Telugu Conference, and completed the 200-acre Buddhavanam project. He found fault with the government for locking up key Telangana landmarks like the 125-feet Dr BR Ambedkar statue and the Telangana Amara Jyothi Martyrs’ Memorial, instead of promoting them as tourist attractions.

Cornered in the Assembly, Krishna Rao, who initially claimed BRS did nothing for tourism, backtracked, saying it “did not do enough”. He said the Congress had plans to develop a library at the Ambedkar statue and promote the Telangana Amara Jyothi Martyrs’ Memorial as a tourist site.