No Tax Hike Despite Debt Burden, Says Bhatti
Criticising the Opposition for allegedly spreading misinformation about government schemes, Bhatti said the BRS government had promised free electricity but failed to provide adequate funding to power distribution companies, pushing them into debt.
Nalgonda: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday said the Congress government has not increased taxes during its two-and-a-half years in office despite servicing a debt burden of Rs 8 lakh crore inherited from the previous governments.
“We are paying Rs 76,000 crore annually towards principal and interest repayments,” he noted.
After inaugurating the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd circle office at Bhongir, Bhatti said the Congress government prioritised welfare under “Indiramma Rajyam” while implementing development programmes without imposing any additional tax burden on the people.
He said the government had successfully met a record power demand of 18,546mw without any power outage. Insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh would soon be provided to 1.5 crore families under the Indiramma Kutumba Bheema scheme.
Criticising the Opposition for allegedly spreading misinformation about government schemes, Bhatti said the BRS government had promised free electricity but failed to provide adequate funding to power distribution companies, pushing them into debt.
He said the Congress government was clearing pending liabilities and paying Rs 14,000 crore annually towards free electricity for 30 lakh agricultural pump sets while ensuring quality power supply. He claimed that while the previous government struggled to manage a peak demand of 15,000mw during 2023-24, the present government had successfully handled a peak demand of 18,546mw during 2025-26 without interruptions.
Bhatti urged the people not to heed “misinformation” being spread by BRS leaders, like Harish Rao.
The deputy CM said the government aimed to extend interest-free loans worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore to women self-help groups by the end of its five-year term.
Alleging that former chief minister, BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao, had failed to fulfil his promise of providing double-bedroom houses, Bhatti said the Congress government had revived the Indiramma Housing Scheme. Some 4.5 lakh houses were sanctioned in the first phase with an allocation of Rs 22,500 crore and 2,000 houses would be allotted to each assembly constituency in the second phase this year.
Referring to issues faced by families displaced by the Basavapuram reservoir project, he promised compensation to these families at the earliest.
Bhatti remotely inaugurated a 33/11 KV substation constructed at Vankamamidi village in Bhoodan Pochampally mandal at a cost of Rs 2.67 crore and laid the foundation for a store complex at Hanumapuram to be built at a cost of Rs 2.03 crore.
Bhongir MLA Kumbam Anil Kumar Reddy, MLC Nellikanti Satyam, Bhongir municipal chairperson Tangallapalli Sravani, TGSPDCL chairman and managing director Jitesh V Patil, and collector Anurag Jayanti were present.
