Vote TRS for development, KCR requests people

Hyderabad: TRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao on Monday urged the people of greater Hyderabad to vote for TRS for “continuous development”.

Asking people, intellectuals, poets, social workers, writers and artists to take a call, he said, “decide whether you need a city with TS-bPASS or a curfew pass. Think carefully and choose wisely, otherwise a wrong choice of vote will bite back.”

Asking people to vote for TRS, Chandrashekar Rao said, “if some other party wins, they would not be able to achieve anything as they need state government’s support to sustain development.”

Addressing a press conference, Rao described the State capital as a bouquet of different flowers. He requested people to stay away from destructive force, who would create trouble in an otherwise peaceful Hyderabad.

Hyderabad had emerged as a top cosmopolitan city, he said. It is probably the only city which can boast of having a Gujarati galli, a Parsi gutta, a Sindhi colony and an Arab colony, which reflects its cosmopolitan and secular fabric.

Rao said the TRS government has a rare distinction of introducing unique and progressive policies like TS-iPASS, TS-bPASS and the one-of-its-kind Dharani portal for land management. He said, “people from across India have settled down here and are a happy lot. The city has a rich culture and a great history. The TRS, which has already taken up several initiatives to make it a truly global city, will strive to keep the momentum going through various initiatives.”

Referring to the promise of free water supply, KCR said that almost 97 per cent of households will get benefit and only remaining three per cent have to pay charges.

He said his government has extended financial aid of Rs 10,000 to around 6.56 lakh families, at a cost of around Rs 656 crore, adding, “remaining families will get aid after polls.”

Regarding national politics, he said he was prepared for “any kind of sacrifice to take the country on the right path”, adding that the two national parties, Congress and BJP, had proved to be “utter flops in governing” the country.

“They failed to put India on a path of development. It is time for a new political leadership to take the country on the right path. I may be the one to lead the alternative to BJP and Congress, if the need arises,” Rao said.

The approach and policies of both these parties has been wrong all through, he said, adding, “we need political leadership that creates wealth and distributes it to people.”

Arguing that there was an urgent need to bring a definitive change in the country, he said that he would take the initiative at the appropriate time.

Rao said, “moves have started to create a new political platform that would serve as an alternative to both BJP and Congress at the national level. I am in touch with many leaders from regional parties, including chief ministers of several states. I have already shared my plan to have a conclave of all non-BJP party leaders in Hyderabad in the second week of December.”

“Everyone knows I am a stubborn person when it comes to achieving a goal as happened in the case of separate Statehood,” he said.

Opposing the move of the BJP government at the Centre in selling stakes in PSUs and national organisations like LIC or railways, Rao asked “for whose benefit are BSNL, or LIC or railways being made a scapegoat?”

He assured all support to employees in their fight against privatisation.

The Chief Minister also urged the people of Telangana to strictly follow the Covid-19 guidelines and cooperate with the state government in preventing a second wave of Coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Rao said the second wave of the pandemic had begun in several states across the country and appears to be far more dangerous. Appealing to people to follow personal protection measures, failing which, Rao said, the government might be “compelled to impose another lockdown”.

Stating that though the situation was better in Telangana, he said people should not be careless and ensure they take adequate personal protection measures.

Maintaining that the government was already on alert and ready to provide all support to people in terms of treatment, he said, personal discipline to follow Covid guidelines will have a far-reaching impact in controlling the pandemic.

He exhorted people to be careful, saying, “as an elderly man, I urge people to wear face masks compulsorily, wash hands frequently, maintain physical distance and avoid crowds. These simple measures are our most effective weapons to prevent the spread of virus. We are hopeful of normal functioning only if people act responsibly. We need to be extra cautious because the pandemic could intensify during winter.”

He said the government was increasing testing up to 75,000 tests per day and had already procured nearly two lakh home isolation kits to be supplied to Covid-19 patients. About 10,000 beds with oxygen facilities have been kept ready, besides making arrangements for oxygen cylinders supply in certain primary health centres in remote areas, he added.