KCR: Telangana No.1 state in welfare

Telangana stands at the number one position among all states in the country in people's welfare, said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday. The state allocated Rs.28,000 crore for the welfare of various sections of people in the budget for the current financial year.

Addressing the Independence Day celebrations after unfurling the national flag at the historic Golconda Fort here, he said the government had taken up several schemes for the welfare of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and minorities. Listing out the schemes announced and implemented during the last one year, he announced that Gram Jyothi, a programme for rural development, would be launched on August 17. The government plans to spend Rs.25,000 crore on this programme in the next four years.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, said despite many hurdles post bifurcation, the newly created state made many strides in development and welfare during the last one year, drawing praise not just in the country but from across the world. KCR announced that farmers will be supplied daily nine hour electricity from March next year. He recalled that those opposing Telangana state had predicted that the state will plunge into darkness but the government proved them all wrong by ensuring uninterrupted supply to all sectors within a year.

The chief minister said the state had tied up funds to the tune of Rs.91,500 crore for electricity projects to become self-sufficient in the sector. Plans have been drawn to generate an additional capacity of 25,000 Megawatt. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief said Mission Kaktiya, the flagship scheme of the government to revive 46,000 irrigation tanks, was winning praise from across the world.

He said even before its launch, Telangana Water Grid aimed at ensuring potable water supply to every house in the state was being praised by all. The work on the project will begin soon. The TRS leader said the government was implementing a scheme to waive crop loans of Rs.17,000 crore. It has so far released Rs.8,500 crore in two phases. KCR said in the first of its kind initiative in the world, Telangana launched single window scheme for the industry to give all clearances to projects in two weeks. A legislation was enacted to give right of clearance to the investors. The single window has so far given clearances to 36 industries in two phases.

KCR also announced that two major reservoirs with a capacity of 30 TMC will be built in Hyderabad to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the city. Criticising those who claim to have developed Hyderabad during their rule, he said the city of 1.42 crore population has only two reservoirs Himayatsagar and Osmansagar that too built by Nizam.

The chief minister said projects worth Rs.21,000 crore were prepared to improve infrastructure and make Hyderabad a world-class city. He said plans were also ready to lay roads at a cost of Rs.20,000 crore in the state. These will include four-land roads from Hyderabad to all district headquarters and two-land roads from district headquarters to mandals.

Stating that Telangana suffered injustice in united Andhra Pradesh as it was denied its due share in Godavari and Krishna river waters, KCR said the government had taken up irrigation projects pending for decades. This was the second year in a row that Telangana organised the main official function to mark the Independence Day at Golconda Fort to showcase the rich legacy of Telangana.

KCR made a departure from the over five-decade-old tradition of Independence Day celebrations at the Parade Grounds. Like last year, there was no march past and tableaux at the fort. The celebrations highlighted the rich culture of Telangana as scores of artists showcased their talent in different parts of the majestic fort.