Congress woos Goud community with big promises

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has promised socio-economic and political empowerment of Goud community if Congress party is voted to power in 2019 elections.

Addressing a mass public meeting organised by Telangana Goud Sangam in the premises of Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress party and Goud community have been synonym to each other since several decades. He pointed out that Ponnam Prabhakar and Madhu Yaskhi Goud were elected to Lok Sabha on Congress ticket while B. Bhikshamaiah Goud was the DCC president of erstwhile Nalgonda district. He said that the Congress party always gave importance to Goud community and nominated its members to various top posts so as to ensure their political empowerment. He assured that the Goud community would continue to get more importance in the Congress party. He said adequate representation would be given to Goud community in next elections.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said he was born in Tatipamula village and had grown up playing around large number of toddy tress. Similarly, he said there were several areas in Telangana which had abundant toddy tress. Due to the negligence of successive governments, he said that the toddy trees have started vanishing which also snatched the sources of livelihood for thousands of toddy tappers. He said the situation needs to be changed. He promised that if voted to power in next elections, the next Congress Government would provide 5 acres of land to each of nearly 8,000 toddy tappers cooperative societies as per GO 660. In case government land is not available, he said private land would be purchased and distributed among toddy tapper societies. He also promised that on the lines of Gujarat and Kerela, toddy would be taken away from the Excise Department and it would made part of Village Khadi Board.

The TPCC chief also promised that the license period for toddy sale would be increased from present five to 10 years. Similarly, he said the ex-gratia for the toddy tappers who gets killed after falling down from trees would be enhanced to Rs. 10 lakh. He said despite announcing Rs. 5 lakh ex-gratia, present TRS Government did not pay the amount to family of a single victim. He also assured that the machines which are being used to climb toddy trees in Kerela and other States would be provided to toddy tappers on huge subsidy. He said special focus would be laid on educational empowerment of Goud community. He said a Goud Hostel would be constructed on 10 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 20 crore. The toddy tappers federation will be given financial assistance of Rs. 100 crore per annum.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also promised that the statue of Sri Sardar Sarvai Papanna Goud Maharaj would be installed at Tank Bund and other prominent places after Congress comes to power in 2019 elections.

Accusing Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao of cheating the Backward Classes, Uttam Kumar Reddy said TRS Government had so far presented four budgets of nearly Rs. 5 lakh since June 2014. But it did nothing to implement the BC Sub-Plan. However, in view of next elections, KCR is now talking about BC Sub-Plan. He said that the TRS Government has even failed to spend the allocated funds for the welfare of BCs. He demanded that the State Government, in its next budget, allocated 50% of total plan outlay for the welfare of BCs if it was really sincere with the community.

Stating that the Congress party fully supported when the reservation for Muslims under BC-E category were enhanced to 12%, he said that the quota for other BC communities under A, B, C and D categories should be increased in proportionate to their population. When the Congress legislators raised the issue in Assembly and Council, despite giving an assurance, the Chief Minister did nothing to increase the quota. He asked all BC communities to stay cautious with KCR and do not believe his tall promises.

The public meeting was attended by top leaders of Goud community from all across Telangana.

The meeting was also addressed by senior leaders including Leader of Opposition in Council Shabbir Ali, ex-MPs Madhu Yaskhi Goud, Ponnam Prabhakar and M. Anjan Kumar Yadav, Bhishamaiah Goud, Sataiah Goud and other leaders.