K T Rama Rao says the BJP government failed to implement the assurances given to Telangana in the AP Reorganization Act, 2014

TRS working president and Minister KT Rama Rao on Friday came down heavily on the BJP-led Central government for what he termed as step-motherly treatment towards Telangana State and questioned its disinvestment plan of Rs 6 lakh crore as well as skyrocketing fuel prices.

He also took a swipe at BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar who is set to begin his ‘Praja Sangrama Yatra’ and wondered if the latter was touring the State to identify the government properties in order to sell them away. Questioning the Centre over its disinvestment plans by selling the public sector companies and realising Rs 6 lakh crore, the TRS working president said while the BJP talks of ‘Make in India’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Skill India’ and other slogans, it was indulging in ‘Becho India’.

He recalled that he explained to people about the BJP’s ‘Becho India’ slogan during the GHMC polls itself. “Why is Bandi Sanjay taking up a padayatra? Is he unable to use his bandi (vehicle) due to the hike in petrol prices? Or will he do a quick survey on the government assets available in the State and report the same to the Prime Minister for selling them away?” Rama Rao questioned. 

He suggested Sanjay visit nurseries and Vaikuntadhamams in the villages during his padayatra.

Speaking to media persons at the Telangana Bhavan here, Rama Rao said the BJP government failed to implement the assurances given to Telangana in the AP Reorganization Act, 2014. He pointed out that though the NITI Aayog recommended Rs 21,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya



and Mission Bhagiratha, the Centre did not give even a single rupee till date.

There has been no response for the plea to give national project status to any irrigation project taken up in the State till date. He recalled that following floods in various parts of the country last year, the BJP government at the Centre gave Rs 1,000 crore to Gujarat and Rs 500 crore to another BJP-ruled State, but did not release a rupee to Hyderabad which was in a deluge.

On the promises to provide jobs, the Minister said the Narendra Modi government had promised 14 crore jobs at the rate of two crore jobs per year after it came to power but did not undertake any major recruitments. There are more than eight lakh jobs in different government departments in the Centre. “Why does not Revanth Reddy or Bandi Sanjay question the Centre on this issue?” he questioned. He said there are over 11.3 lakh jobs in PSUs. By selling the PSUs, the Centre was denying 1.6 lakh jobs for SCs, 1 lakh jobs for STs and 2 lakh jobs for OBCs in these units through reservations.

The Minister announced that the State government took up recruitment for over 1.32 lakh jobs and had already released a white paper in this regard. As per the directions of the Chief Minister, the officials have already initiated the exercise of identifying the remaining vacancies of about 50,000-60,000 in different departments. He pointed out that the government implemented a new zonal system as well as new legislation providing 95 per cent reservation to the locals in government jobs.