Telangana: Congress releases manifesto for municipal elections

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & Nalgonda MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy promised the comprehensive development of urban areas in the State if the Congress party is voted to power in the municipal elections.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with AICC Spokesperson Dr. Dasoju Sravan, unveiled the party's manifesto for municipal elections which he described as Vision Document for the comprehensive development of urban local bodies.

The major promises in the manifesto include no municipal tax for home with a building area of less than 500 sft; A new Building Regularization Scheme (BRS); Free tap connection and supply of quality water for all white ration car holders; state-of-the-art internal roads and road dividers, underground drainages and LED streetlights in municipalities; Parks, Green Belts, Ponds, and Bathukamma Ghats; Vocational training centers for youth and young people in each municipality; Rs. 5 meal twice a day; Indoor stadium with modern amenities, spacious playgrounds and gyms in each municipality; Establishment of reading rooms, Internet-enabled libraries and free WiFis in each municipality; CCTV cameras and convention centers in every municipality with all the facilities for weddings, cultural and other celebrations.

Addressing Congress party leaders and workers in a live interaction programme on social media platform Facebook on Thursday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the TRS has no right to seek votes as the State Government has failed to provide drinking water in municipal areas through Mission Bhagiratha. He reminded that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, in December 2014, had announced in Assembly that TRS would not seek votes if his government failed to provide drinking water through taps to all households in the State through Mission Bhagiratha scheme. However, he said the scheme proved to be a failure as people in many municipalities and municipal corporations did not get the promised safe drinking water through taps. Therefore, he said TRS has moral right to seek people's votes in municipal elections.

The TPCC Chief said there was no development or even improvement of civic infrastructure in any of the urban local bodies in the last six years. He said the existing infrastracture was development during the previous Congress regimes. He said nearly 40% of State's population live in municipalities and municipal corporations. However, the citizens lack access to safe drinking water, better roads, quality power and other civic amenities. He appealed to the people to teach TRS a fitting lesson in municipal elections.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said CM KCR has forgotten all the electoral promises which he made in 2014 and again in 2018 elections. He said TRS needs a serious shock of defeat in the municipal elections which would restore KCR's memory and he might start fulfilling the forgotten promises. He said even after completing one year in the second term, TRS Government did not waive off crop loans up to Rs. 1 lakh. Similarly, the promises of Unemployment Allowance of Rs. 3,016 per month, double bedroom for weaker sections, 12% reservation for Muslims and STs, three acres of land for Dalit families and other promises remained unfulfilled. He said people must vote for the Congress party in the municipal elections if they want to pressurise the TRS Govt to fulfill electoral promises.

The TPCC chief advised the Congress party cadre to work as soldiers to accomplish the mission of winning the majority of seats in municipalities and municipal corporations.

He appealed to the minorities not to trust CM KCR or other TRS leaders. He alleged that TRS was having a secret alliance with the BJP and it has been supporting the Modi Government at the Centre for the last six years. Interestingly, he said TRS and MIM and open allies while TRS is also having a secret alliance with the BJP. For the same reason, he said CM KCR was hesitating to speak against the Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC. He said despite him appealing KCR more than 10 times, the TRS chief was reluctant to come out in open to oppose CAA, NRC and NPR. He reiterated the demand that CM KCR convenes a special session of Telangana Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution rejecting CAA and NRC in Telangana State.

Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that the manifesto has been prepared by a committee headed by senior leader Magam Ranga Reddy. He said the manifesto would be released in all districts on Friday by the DCCs concerned. He advised them to hold a press conference after releasing the manifesto. He said the manifesto would be released in all Assembly segments on Saturday.

Earlier, AICC Spokesperson Dr. Dasoju Sravan explained the highlights of Congress manifesto for municipal elections. He said it was Rajiv Gandhi who empowered the municipalities through the 74th Amendment. He said that the development of towns and all municipal areas was important to achieve the comprehensive growth of the State. He said if the Congress is voted to power, all municipalities and municipal corporations would be turned into public service centers without corruption.