Revanth Reddy raises inherited debt figure to Rs.8.11 lakh crore at Rythu Bharosa launch
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said Telangana inherited a debt of Rs 8.11 lakh crore from the previous BRS government. He defended the Congress government's welfare spending, announced fresh Rythu Bharosa disbursals and accused the Opposition of obstructing key development projects
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday put the total debt inherited from the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government at Rs 8.11 lakh crore, marking yet another revision in the government’s estimate of the State’s liabilities.
The latest figure contrasts with the Chief Minister’s earlier claims. In December 2023, he had stated that the Congress government inherited debts of Rs 6.71 lakh crore. During the Assembly election campaign, he had pegged the debt at Rs 6 lakh crore, while the BRS had maintained that the State’s debt stood at around Rs 4 lakh crore.
Addressing the launch of the Rythu Bharosa disbursement programme here, Revanth Reddy said, “The fact is that when the Congress government came to power, it inherited a debt of Rs 8.11 lakh crore.”
He also said Telangana was not receiving due respect in New Delhi, claiming that representatives of other States often avoided interacting with Telangana’s representatives for fear that they would seek financial assistance. He attributed the situation to the financial condition inherited from the previous BRS government.
The way he sought to explain the State’s financial condition also surprised political observers as he used a crude example. He said, “It was as if the government was wearing a sherwani to pose as a nawab, while in reality, it was wearing torn underwear without a shirt beneath the sherwani. These are facts and they need to be shared with the people.”
Revanth Reddy also said the State was not getting due respect in New Delhi and that representatives of other States were avoiding meetings with Telangana’s representatives as they feared the latter would seek favours. He, however, squarely blamed the previous BRS government for the current financial situation.
He claimed that the government had spent a substantial amount over the last 30 months to put the State back on track and address issues in a phased manner. After spending Rs 11,000 crore on free bus travel for women, TGSRTC was now earning profits of Rs 1,000 crore a month, he claimed.
The Chief Minister said the government had waived farmers’ crop loans, enhanced Rythu Bharosa assistance and disbursed Rs 27,000 crore to farmers so far. He said the government was spending Rs 1,000 crore on 24-hour free power supply to farmers. It had also spent nearly Rs 4,000 crore as a bonus for fine rice varieties and around Rs 3,500 crore under Rythu Bima.
He warned that if KCR came back to power, he would not waive crop loans. Rythu Bharosa would not be continued, the unemployment issue would not be resolved, and farmers’ produce would not be procured.
The Chief Minister said power and public office were never permanent and that everything would eventually come before the people. He said the same was true for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao and former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. “It is no different for me. I want to be remembered for fulfilling the promises made to the people. We need time to achieve that,” Revanth Reddy said.
Accusing the Opposition of obstructing development projects such as Metro Rail and Musi rejuvenation, Revanth Reddy asserted that the government would go ahead with them regardless of opposition. “Even if Opposition leaders consume Endrin and commit suicide, all these works will be taken up,” Revanth Reddy said.
Last Yasangi, Rs 2,000 crore Rythu Bharosa dues pending: Tummala
Earlier, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao admitted that the government had not released Rs 2,000 crore under Rythu Bharosa during the last Yasangi season. “We could not pay the final instalment of Rythu Bharosa. To compensate for it, we procured farmers’ produce at the minimum support price by spending about Rs 5,000 crore,” he said.
The Chief Minister assured that Rs 9,000 crore would be disbursed to farmers over the next nine days. In the first phase, Rs 2,482.02 crore would be credited to 44.28 lakh farmers. “All the required funds have been arranged and they will be released as per schedule,” Revanth Reddy said. Amid cheers from farmers, he turned to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and asked whether he had now gained confidence.
