HYDERABAD: BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Monday issued a call to the people of Maharashtra to give his party a resounding victory in the zilla parishads in the upcoming local bodies elections, asserting that, if elected, the BRS would roll out "Telangana model" welfare schemes and development programmes that would automatically reach voters' doorsteps.
Addressing a BRS rally in Aurangabad on Monday, his third public in Maharashtra, Rao slammed successive governments for failing to meet even the most basic needs of people, such as drinking water, irrigation, and power, despite ruling the state for decades.
He reminded that following his first public meeting in Nanded in February, the BJP government in Maharashtra duplicated the Telangana government's Rythu Bandhu scheme, announcing Rs 6,000 per year financial aid to the farmers in addition to the Rs 6,000 per year assistance provided by the Centre. Rao promised to provide daily drinking water to every household as well as implement welfare schemes if the BRS is voted to power in Maharashtra.
Rao asked why Maharashtra's rulers had failed to provide basic amenities despite the fact that the state was the richest and Mumbai was the financial capital of India. Rao expressed his displeasure that several towns in Maharashtra, including Aurangabad, receiving drinking water once a week and over five to seven farmers were dying by suicide in Maharashtra every day.
"We could provide treated drinking water through tap connections to every household in Telangana within five years of formation of state under Mission Bhagiratha scheme. We provided free irrigation facilities to all villages. We are giving 24x7 free power to agriculture. We are purchasing paddy from farmers for MSP in kharif and rabi every year. We are giving Rs 10,000 per acre per year Rythu Bandhu and Rs 5 lakh free insurance under Rythu Bima to farmers,” he remarked
Maharashtra is richer than Telangana, but why are these welfare schemes and development programmes not being implemented in Maharashtra, he wondered, adding that this was due to Maharashtra's ruling parties and leaders lacking political will, sincerity, and commitment to the welfare of people and farmers.
“People of Maharashtra should give a serious thought on this and cast their votes to the right party. If you ensure BRS victory in all zilla parishads, all these schemes and development will automatically come to you running on their own," Rao remarked amid thunderous applause from the people.
Rao took a dig at BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis again, for asking him (Rao) what business he had in Maharashtra and for asking him to confine himself to Telangana.
"Fadnavis ji, like the Telangana government, gives Rs 10 lakh to each Dalit family to empower Dalits. I assure you that if Dalit Bandhu is implemented in Maharashtra, I will leave the state. Why is there no Dalit Bandhu in Maharashtra, the state where Dr B.R. Ambedkar was born," Rao asked.
The CM also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India' initiatives alleging that they remained only on paper. "Why are Maharashtra's land records not digitised if Digital India was implemented? If Make in India was a success, why are there so many ‘China Bazaars’ in Maharashtra,” he asked.
