KTR Dismisses Oppn Criticism, Says TS Under BRS Best State In India

HYDERABAD: BRS working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao asked Opposition parties and others who were criticising the BRS government to show him a state in the country that has performed better than Telangana in any sector in the past nine years.

In an informal chat with mediapersons here on Thursday, on the eve of the 10th Formation Day of Telangana state and BRS government completing nine years in office, Rama Rao said Telangana achieved “holistic, inclusive, integrated and balanced growth” under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre “failed India with higher inflation, unemployment, LPG, fuel prices and lowest rupee value” during the same period.

Rama Rao expressed confidence in the BRS scoring a hat-trick of wins by securing 90 to 100 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“The tagline for Telangana statehood agitation spearheaded by KCR was ‘Neellu (water)’, ‘Nidhulu (funds)’, ‘Niyamakalu (jobs)’. The BRS government performed exceedingly well in these three areas in the past nine years. We constructed the world's largest lift irrigation project, Kaleshwaram, and ensured irrigation to one crore acres due to which foodgrain production has jumped manifold. We are supplying drinking water to every household through Mission Bhagiratha. Telangana has the highest per capita income in the country. We provided 2.30 lakh jobs in government sectors and 25 lakh jobs in private sector,” Rama Rao said.

Stating that the ‘Telangana model’ of development was a rare phenomenon in contemporary politics, Rama Rao said, “The green cover in Telangana increased by 7 per cent and at the same time, the industrial sector witnessed a rapid growth. Villages became clean and green with Palle Pragathi and at the same time, towns and cities were spruced up with Pattana Pragathi. Agriculture sector flourished and at the same time, IT sector boomed. Show me one state in the country which achieved this kind of balanced growth.”

He said that the BRS government made remarkable progress in education and health sectors by setting up a medical college in every district, strengthening government schools under Mana Ooru-Mana Badi, setting up 1,000 residential schools for all sections of society, setting up Basti Dawakhanas (local clinics) and 100-bed hospitals in Assembly constituency headquarters.

“We are implementing welfare schemes which cover socially and economically weaker sections and all religions, bringing administrative reforms by setting up new districts, mandals and upgrading tribal thandas as panchayats,” Rama Rao said.

Rao appealed to the people of Telangana to assess the nine-year rule of BRS government with that of over 50 years of rule by Congress governments and the 15-year rule of BJP governments at the state and the Centre, respectively.

“I am fully confident that people of Telangana will recognise the performance of BRS government, vote for it in Assembly polls and make KCR CM for the third time this year. I am fully confident that people of Telangana will not throw away the Rs 100 note (BRS achievements) they have in their pockets now and rush for coins (Opposition promises),” he said.

KTR proud of BRS infra works, says public transport can be improved

Municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao said that the public transport system in Hyderabad needs upgrades and the Metro Rail needs to be expanded to a 200-250-kilometre network in the city, while crediting the infusion of new infrastructure by the BRS government for “Hyderabad’s phenomenal growth.”

“We built several flyovers, new roads and link roads for the smooth flow of traffic in Hyderabad under SRDP (strategic road development programme). We implemented Rs 1,000-crore SNDP (strategic nala development programme) in the city, which resulted in free flow of rainwater without major flooding. There is still a scope for improvement to meet future needs as Hyderabad is expanding rapidly,” Rama Rao said.

He said the government has already initiated the Airport Metro Rail project recently.