ESL lists KCR govt priorities

• Delivers historic address to maiden session of T legislature
  
• Oppn terms the address a repeat of TRS poll manifesto

• Rs 1 lakh cr to be spent on farmers, minorities, poor people S 12% quota in education and employment for tribal people
  
• Similar benefits for minorities; `1,000 cr annual allocation
  
• Kin of Telangana martyrs to get Rs 10 lakh govt assistance
  
• Special cell to help investors; zero corruption and no hassles
  
• Govt to set up Rs 100-cr welfare fund for advocates and Rs 10-cr for Journalists
  
• Hyderabad to turn into a slum-less world-class city
  
• Pharma City to come up on city suburbs
  

Hyderabad: Rooting out political corruption and ensuring welfare of farmers, minorities and poorer sections top the agenda of the Telangana Government. Addressing the maiden historic session of both Houses of Telangana Legislature, Governor E S L Narasimhan said that as an initial measure, the government would implement the loan waiver scheme to rekindle hopes of farmers and provide them succour. Laying out a road map for the government, the Governor said that it envisaged Rs 1 lakh crore spend for the welfare of farmers, minorities and poorer sections. Industrial development of the state and transformation of Hyderabad into a world-class city are also top on the government’s agenda.

The Governor said the State government was determined to extend Rs 10 lakh monetary assistance to the bereaved families of those who had sacrificed their lives for the cause of Telangana. Noting that his government believes that development at the cost of welfare would have little meaning when lakhs of families are still living below the poverty line and millions of children are unable to access good education, Narasimhan said, "It is precisely for this reason that my government has decided to lay particular emphasis on the welfare of SCs, STs, BCs, minorities and the poor among other sections of society by spending Rs 1 lakh crore in the coming five years."
Up to 12 per cent reservation in respect of education and government employment would be provided to tribals who constitute a sizable proportion of the state's population, the Governor said, adding that it was also committed to giving 12 per cent reservation to minorities and that it would provide an unprecedented annual allocation of Rs 1,000 crore. Appropriate steps for preservation of Urdu language would also be taken. Narasimhan said that the Telangana government would formulate 'the best industrial policy' which would give the required boost to the economy.

A model system of 'single window clearance' would be put in place. A Special Chasing Cell (SCC) would be attached to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) to ensure speedy clearances to upcoming projects. There would zero corruption and no harassment to potential investors. The government would strive to make Hyderabad 'Clean and green and pollution-free' and also a ‘slum-free urban conglomerate’ by establishing planned satellite townships as per their specific master plans which would accommodate poorer sections and migrants.

He said for the benfit of international travellers and for local residents, facilities like expressways, rapid mass transport systems, domestic airports would be planned in consultation with international agencies, incorporating the best of most livable cities of the world such as Melbourne, Vienna, Vancouver, Toronto.

In order to make Hyderabad a safe zone and an attractive investment destination, law and order would be the top priority for the government, the Governor assured. There would be constant surveillance with a network of CCTV cameras and other advanced gadgets, covering the entire urban agglomeration to make it safe.
Keeping in mind the large number of women employees working in Hyderabad, particularly in the IT sector, it was decided to lay thrust on tight security and maintenance of law and order, so that city becomes a safe place for working women round-the-clock.

Noting that Telangana contributed to one-third of the country's pharma production, he said the government would further boost it by promoting a Pharma City as one of the satellite townships which would have government-run effluent treatment services with complete pollution management. Good news was in store for government employees, journalists and lawyers as the Telangana government acknowledged their role in separate statehood movement and rebuilding it going forward. A welfare fund would be constituted with a corpus of Rs 10 crore for journalists whose role in achieving Telangana state was immense, Narasimhan said.

"A welfare fund with a corpus of Rs 100 crore would be set up for the welfare of lawyers as they stood like a rock during the movement for the formation of Telangana state." This, however, came in for sharp criticism from the opposition parties which felt that the TRS had converted its manifesto into Governor’s address and failed to give clarity on issues like loan waiver scheme.