Emphasising the need for the people to take an active role in the democratic process, BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said it was time for the people of Telangana to do their bit to ensure continuation of the State’s progress and urged voters to evaluate the performance of previous governments as against that of the BRS regime before casting their votes.
“We achieved Telangana State together. I have done my bit for its progress. Now, it is your turn to ensure that the State continues to develop and the need enjoy its fruits. Any hesitation might spell doom for the entire State and bring back the dark ages of the Congress governments from the past,” he said while addressing a massive gathering at Atchampet on Thursday.
The Chief Minister encouraged voters to critically compare the achievements of previous administrations in the State with the current BRS government, and also in contrast with opposition-ruled States. He underscored the BRS’s record in delivering is promises like drinking water to every household and uninterrupted power supply. “The BJP leaders from other States will visit the State during these elections and make grand promises. But they all fell short in fulfilling such vital commitments in their own States,” he said.
Chandrashekhar Rao said there would always be criticism of work done or not done, but people must adopt a forward-thinking. He received huge response in his favour when he asked the gathering whether they wanted to witness a decline in Telangana’s paddy production, currently at three crore tonnes, or aim for a rise to four crore tonnes.
He highlighted the practical and realistic approach of the BRS to announcing welfare schemes, which have been adjusted according to the State’s growing revenue.
He compared the actionable promises of the BRS in its election manifesto with the opposition’s extensive commitments that they later failed to implement.
The Chief Minister assured the people of Atchampet Assembly segment that the BRS would complete the Umamaheshwara Lift Irrigation Scheme, benefitting around 1.5-2 lakh acres. He held the Congress responsible for filing around 192 cases which led to delay in completion of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) as per schedule and vowed to complete the pending works of the project which was operationalised recently to end the drought conditions of Palamuru region.
Chandrashekhar Rao also said the State government would issue orders within a month to establish polytechnic and nursing colleges, as well as a women’s degree college in Atchampet constituency. He pledged to develop Atchampet, especially the Amrabad forest area, into a prominent tourist destination.
Hitting out the Congress leaders, Chandrashekhar Rao said schemes like Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu would be doomed if the Congress was voted to power. The BRS government has made significant strides in land transactions through the Dharani portal, reducing the involvement of intermediaries and streamlining the process for landowners. It was focusing on the welfare and empowerment of marginalised communities, through both the Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu.
“But from Rahul Gandhi to Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and A Revanth Reddy, all have vowed to remove the Dharani portal. This will not only affect Rythu Bandhu financial assistance into bank accounts of farmers, but also pose challenges to payment of paddy procurement amounts,” he said, also advising the electorate to consider the consequences of restricting power supply to three hours.