Hyderabad: The Congress on Sunday questioned Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for not forming a full-fledged Cabinet 40 days after the elections, after dissolving the previous Assembly early.
Speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address, Congress legislator Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy demanded that the Cabinet be immediately expanded as there was just a month remaining before the model code of conduct would be imposed again for the Lok Sabha elections.
During the course of his speech, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao objected to Mr Reddy’s reference to “your Governor”, and said he should have said “our Governor”. Mr Reddy agreed and retracted but said that the Governor’s speech had mentioned ‘TRS government’ which should be corrected. The Chief Minister replied, “Yes, it is a TRS government and there is nothing wrong with it. Why are you getting irritated with facts?”
Mr Reddy said the Governor’s address was like a public speech of Mr Rao. He said the party disputed the Governor’s claim that 94 per cent of farmers had received land passbooks.
“In my own Bhupalpally constituency 30 to 40 per cent farmers are waiting for passbooks,” he said and added that revenue officials were benefiting more.
He said the TRS has added only Rs 16 to the amounts mentioned in the Congress manifesto promises on pensions and unemployment allowances. “But the Governor didn’t inform when the new promises will be implemented. The government has failed to implement the Arogyasri scheme properly. Some hospitals are rejecting patients. The 104 ambulances are not in use as they are not even getting money for diesel. Forest officials are being harsh with tribals,” he said.
The MIM and the BJP have demanded construction of new building for the Osmania General Hospital. BJP MLA T. Raja Singh said doctors at the hospital were wearing helmets. He claimed that the law and order was a cause for worry with people being “killed in front of police cars” and mentioned the drugs case allegedly involving film personalities. “No action is being taken,” he said.
Earlier, TRS MLA Koppula Eshwar moved the motion of thanks for the Governor’s address, which was supported by Mr Vemula Prashanth Reddy. Mr Eshwar said the TRS’ welfare schemes had helped the party return to power. Mr Reddy said “AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu played cheap tricks to defeat us. The Opposition has failed to turn voters and started allegations about EVM tampering.”
