KCR govt riding high, leaves oppn in tatters

Launches a slew of ambitious schemes during 2015

Farmer suicides, fiscal stress etc have not dented the image of the party. This was proved by the record majority it had got in the by-election to Warangal Lok Sabha seat. Buoyed by this, TRS has intensified its attempts to attract leaders from other parties in a bid to totally decimate the opposition. Operation Akarsh has badly affected the Congress and the T TDP

Despite witnessing bitter rivalry between the Chief Ministers of the two Telugu-speaking States, drought and deficit rainfall, the year 2015 saw a consolidation of the welfare schemes launched by the TRS government.

The government initiated a number of welfare schemes as part of the promise to create Bangaru (golden) Telangana. The Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, announced a slew of programmes for various sections and kick-started ‘Mission Kakatiya’ and Mission Bhagiratha water grid schemes to restore water bodies to their past glory and supply piped drinking water to every household. KCR vowed not to seek votes in next Assembly elections if he failed to implement the scheme. This project did yield some good returns for the party.

However, the revenue surplus State not only reeled under drought conditions but also saw continuing farmer suicides. The opposition parties – Congress, TDP and BJP – alleged that hundreds of farmers committed suicides due to the agrarian crisis in the State, while the State ministers blamed the previous governments for the distress in the agriculture sector. Alleging that the promise of farm loan waiver had only been implemented partially, the Opposition during the monsoon session of Assembly demanded waiver of farm loans at one go.

But all these problems did not dent the image of the party. This was proved by the record majority it had got in the by-election to Warangal Lok Sabha seat. Buoyed by this development, the party intensified its attempts to wean away several leaders from other parties and render them weak politically. Operation Akarsh badly affected the Congress and the T TDP.

The TRS government's plans to further expand the brand value of Hyderabad received a fillip with technology giant Google announcing its decision to build a new campus in the city. The State government set up 'T-hub,’ an incubation centre.

The major success of the government was improved power supply situation. The two bedroom housing scheme has become a major trump card for the TRS in the ensuing GHMC elections. Another major event this year was the successful performance of the five-day Ayutha Chandi Yagam by Chandrashekar Rao. The yagam was well-organised and went off smoothly.

On the political front, the Congress and the T TDP are suffering due to lack of effective leadership. Despite the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers burying their hatchet, after exhibiting bitter rivalry which started with two of its MLAs facing arrest (they got bail subsequently) in the alleged cash-for-vote scandal, the T TDP continues to be at the receiving end.

In the sports arena, Hyderabad's Sania Mirza had a dream run during the year as she became the world number one tennis player in women's doubles. She won two Grand Slams and a number of other titles, partnering Swiss legend Martina Hingis. 2015 had mixed fortunes for star shuttler Saina Nehwal who became world number one for the first time during the year but had to settle for second position in major tournaments like All England Championship, World Championship and China Open.

On the business front, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, operated by the GMR Group, crossed 10 million passenger mark during the year.

By V Ramu Sarma