KTR launches a slew of development progammes in Zaheerabad

Hyderabad: Industries, IT and Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao Wednesday said Congress had neglected the welfare and development of people in the State when it was in power. On the other hand, BJP was using caste and religion as the main plank instead of working on development issues. Speaking at a public meeting at […]

Hyderabad: Industries, IT and Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao Wednesday said Congress had neglected the welfare and development of people in the State when it was in power. On the other hand, BJP was using caste and religion as the main plank instead of working on development issues.

Speaking at a public meeting at Zaheerabad after inaugurating a slew of development programmes, he said Telangana Government was focused on overall development of the State.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Telangana where he asked Telangana people to give Congress another chance again, Rama Rao said that Congress had done precious little to improve the standard of living of people in the State. People had supported five generations of Congress rule for ten terms but the party did not pay any heed to the needs of the people and their development and welfare took a backseat.

“Congress had no intent or sincerity to work for the downtrodden. If they had worked, why would there be so many villages bereft of basic facilities,” he said.

Countering the BJP’s approach of using caste and religion as the main issue, Rama Rao said some people were resorting to cheap talk to create animosity among people and disturb the peaceful atmosphere. Telangana is now a role model for many States due to its progressive policies that are making people partners in the development across the State.

On irrigation, he said the Sangameshwara-Basaveshwara Lifit Irrigation projects, for which Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had laid the foundation recently, will irrigate about 1.06 lakh acre. The project will use water from Singur, which in turn will receive inflows from Mallanna Sagar. This will be ready in two years.

Rama Rao said the Government will take up works worth Rs 66 crore in Zaheerabad to meet the drinking water needs. This is in addition to the Rs 50 crore provided to the Zaheerabad Municipality for various development works.

In the last few years, medians, junction development and lighting works have been taken up with Rs 34 crore. The vegetarian and non-vegetarian market being readied with Rs 14.5 crore, will be ready in August- September. The Government has also taken up development of Vykunta Dhamam for the last rites of the deceased. It is also developing a Kreeda Pranganam. Sanitation works with Rs 18.7 crore too have been taken up.

The Telangana Government has focused on improving the power supply, drinking water and other needs. It is now in a position to offer 24/7 power to the farm sector. It also increased the pensions to the elderly from Rs 200 to 2,000 and for the disabled from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000. About 40 lakh beneficiaries now and the effort is to include all eligible under the scheme and those who are not getting the pension now will be given shortly.

About 12 lakh people have benefitted under the Government’s ‘Kalyana Lakshmi’ and ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ schemes. Also, deliveries at Government hospitals have increased to 56 per cent from the earlier 30 per cent due to KCR Kits.

The State has set up 973 Gurukulams offering quality education to five lakh students, spending about Rs 1.25 lakh per student. It also reimbursed fees worth Rs 20,000 crore for the students pursuing higher education. Telangana was the lone State to offer such a scheme, Rama Rao pointed out adding that the focus was on employment, infrastructure creation, water supply, power, welfare, education and others.