Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seeks blessings from a priest ahead of his public meeting in Nizamabad on Wednesday | Express
NIZAMABAD: Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday accused the Congress of delaying the distribution of cheques under Rythu Bandhu, which he called a continuous programme as it had already been launched.
“Our plan is to distribute cheques in November. The cheques are getting ready. I had asked officials to start distribution in the second week of October itself, but the Congress filed cases in courts and the Election Commission against the distribution,” he said.
The TRS supremo, who was speaking at a public meeting here, waxed eloquent on the welfare schemes taken up by his government in the last four years and said that he had dissolved the Assembly and decided to advance elections by nine months before schedule to put an end to the Opposition’s “cheap allegations”.
Rao promised State government employees more hikes. “The TRS government has given 43 fitment and one Telangana increment. No State government in the country gave such a hike to its employees... Ours is an employee-friendly government,” Rao said. He added that the TRS would, if it retained power, increase the wages of contractual employees.
With regard to health initiatives, Rao promised a scheme along on the lines of Kanti Velugu for persons suffering from ENT problems. “A health profile will be maintained for every Telangana resident,” he said.
The Chief Minister further said that Asara pensions would be hiked from the present Rs 1,000. “Even as the TRS government gives Rs 1,000 per month, the Congress has assured Rs 2,000 under the pension scheme.” When in power, the Congress used to give Rs 75 per month. Now, they are talking about the poor and offering Rs 2,000. They wouldn’t have made such promises if the TRS hadn’t raised the pension in the first place,” Rao said.
Yashki Goud counters KCR
AICC Secretary Madhu Yashki Goud questioned the caretaker CM for his criticism of the party’s alliance with Telugu Desam. “Isn’t KCR’s son KT Rama Rao doing business with Andhra businessmen. Didn’t KCR himself bow to AP CM Naidu during his Amaravati visit?” he said. Addressing media in Hyderabad, Goud said that KCR was an inefficient administrator and that alone would ensure his defeat in the upcoming Assembly polls.
‘Will pay `5000 to poor families’
The BJP State unit on Wednesday stood by its assurance that it would pay house rents up to `5,000 to poor families in the State, until permanent houses were constructed for them. Responding to Rao’s comments, BJP manifesto committee chairman NVVS Prabhakar said that KCR couldn’t understand the plight of the poor living in rented houses. “If voted to power, we will construct houses for eligible poor in the State,” he added.
