HYDERABAD: TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy said that the Congress will ensure that it delivers on all key promises, including Rs 4,000 monthly pension to senior citizens, widows, physically challenged, artists, seriously ill-patients, among others.
Speaking a day after the Telangana Jana Garjana event, where the party made the promise, Revanth Reddy said, “The Cheyutha scheme is workable if the state’s resources are managed properly. The pension, which was Rs 75 was increased to Rs 200 earlier by our party. We will give Rs 4,000 pension to 55 lakh people by including the pending 10 lakh applicants, who are awaiting approval from the KCR government.”
Asked how the government could fund the scheme which would cost Rs 22,000 crore, when it is struggling to pay salaries and pensions, he alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family had looted a surplus state like Telangana and reduced it into a debt-ridden state.
“The Pranahita Chevella project started with an estimate of Rs 38,000 crore and was redesigned as Kaleshwaram project. It was projected to cost Rs 81,000 crore. The present estimate is Rs 1,49,131 crore. So far Rs 85,000 crore have been paid. Similarly, the Palamuru Ranga Reddy (lift irrigation scheme) was redesigned and the cost escalated from Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 58,000 crore. It is now pegged at Rs one lakh crore,” he said while asking “Are K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao ready for a debate with the Congress on these issues?”
The cost of providing water to one acre under Kaleshwaram is Rs 45,000. The government, which wanted to acquire 93,000 acres for the project, has so far taken only 64,000 acres. The CAG pointed out that the government has to spend Rs 25,000 crore per year to provide water. The BRS leaders are worried of a backlash after the tremendous response to party leader Rahul Gandhi, he said.
On reports that Karnataka had been slicing existing schemes to fund its poll promises, Reddy said, “You are reading it the wrong way. Every government has its priorities. Only those schemes where pilferage is noticed will be removed.”
On Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav meeting BRS leaders, he said, “We are clear that BRS is not going to be part of the opposition. That BRS and Congress will not be part of the same group has been made clear by Rahul Gandhi in Khammam.”
