KTR says he will quit politics if Opposition proves foul play in ORR lease

Minister also offered to resign from his Ministerial post immediately if BJP and Congress leaders could present evidence of any other State under their rule performing better than Telangana

Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday challenged the Opposition parties to prove their allegations of foul play in leasing out the Outer Ring Road (ORR) for 30 years, stating that he was ready to quit politics permanently if they could do so. He asserted that the lease was executed in strict adherence to the Centre’s guidelines for national highways.

Replying to a short discussion on ‘infrastructure development under Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi’ in the Assembly here, the Minister also offered to resign from his Ministerial post immediately if BJP and Congress leaders could present evidence of any other State under their rule performing better than Telangana in terms of development.

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He urged people to defeat the BRS in the upcoming Assembly elections, if they thought he was uttering lies on the State’s development. “But if there is an iota of truth in what I say, I request people to ensure that the Opposition parties lose their deposits,” he said.

Criticising the Congress party, Rama Rao said the party lost credibility. He pointed out that the Congress leaders had governed the State for nearly five decades, but were now complaining about the lack of basic infrastructure in the State. He termed the Opposition as politically bankrupt.

Comparing the Gujarat model with the Telangana model, Rama Rao declared that the latter had proved to be more successful on multiple fronts. He said the Centre’s contribution to the funds spent on urban and rural development in Telangana over the last nine years was less than 10 per cent. He explained that the BRS government was not taking complete credit for Hyderabad’s development unlike other parties.

“Instead, we recognize the contributions of previous administrations and aim to further improve the city to meet future needs. We also thank Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu for acknowledging Telangana’s good governance and development,” he said.

Naidu had welcomed Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s decision to not install electricity meters for agriculture connections, while Jagan Mohan Reddy had appreciated the Chandrashekhar Rao government’s efforts in the Disha encounter case.