Pargi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that it would be a good thing if caretaker CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao takes rest and get some good sleep.
Referring to the remarks made by KCR in one of his speeches that he would comfortably take rest if people vote out TRS in next elections, Rahul Gandhi said that KCR taking rest would be good for the State and its people. “KCR might sleep in his Rs. 300 crore worth house.
But what about lakhs of people who were promised a double bed room house by TRS Government. As against the promise of 22 lakh houses, KCR Govt delivered less than 5,000 houses in the last five years,” he said while addressing a meeting at Gymkhana Grounds, in Pargi of Vikarabad district on Thursday.
Similarly, the promise of 3 acres of land for poor Dalit and Girijan families remained unfulfilled. “You (KCR) take rest. Congress will provide all those things to people,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi announced that the Congress party would provide Rs. 5 lakh to poor people for the construction of their houses. “You’ve snatched powers from Panchayats and gave them to your family. We will restore all powers to Panchayats.
We will double the pension amount and also provide free treatment up to Rs. 5 lakh to eligible people. Jobless youth will be given Rs. 3,000 monthly allowance and when you (KCR) will be taking rest, we will give jobs to youth. We will also spend 20% of budget on education,” he said.
The Congress president said that TRS Government did the biggest cheating with STs. The promise of enhancing ST quota to 12% was not fulfilled and the land of Adivasis has been taken away depriving them of their rights on ‘Jal, Jangal, Zameen’ (Water, Forests and Land).
He said Tribal Act was the biggest weapon given to all States by the previous Congress-led UPA regime to protect the rights of Tribals and adivasis. Lives of lakhs of Girijans could have been changed if the Law would have been implemented in Telangana.
However, TRS Government did not implement the law and took away the tribal lands without even asking them. “While you (KCR) will be taking rest, we will be implementing the Tribal Act and provide reservation to STs in proportionate to their population,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said that the Telangana became a reality due to the sacrifices made by thousands of people. The main aim of creation of Telangana was to ensure that people get their due share in “Neellu, Nidhulu, Niyamakalu” (water, resources and jobs). People trusted KCR and made him the Chief Minister.
However, soon after assuming power, KCR got involved in re-designing of projects. He escalated the cost of Pranahita Chevella from Rs. 50,000 crore to Rs. 90,000 crore just by renaming it to Kaleshwaram project. “You not only lost your money, but you were also denied water,” he told people of Pargi.
The Congress president promised that the People’s Front Government would resolve the water problem. He said Pranahita Chevella was extended till Pargi, but KCR cancelled it. He said that the next government would implement Krishna Water scheme.
Stating that KCR should be given a new name “Khao Commission Rao”, he said public money was stolen in the name of Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha only by painting the old tanks.
Rahul Gandhi accused KCR of shattering the dream of Telangana. He said Telangana had a revenue surplus of Rs. 17,000 when it was formed. But today, it has debts of over Rs. 2.50 lakh crore. While people of Telangana were pushed into huge debts, KCR’s son KTR’s income has increased by 400 times.
Farmers were denied MSP and the Land Acquisition Act was not implemented. “Today your lands are being snatched without payment of compensation. TRS is working land mafia,” he alleged and promised that the Congress-led coalition government would help the farmers.
He said crop loans up to Rs. 2 lakh would be waived and enhanced MSP would be given for 17 major crops. Water-related problems of farmers will also be resolved.
The Congress president also promised that the new railway line from Viqarabad to Pargi, which was sanctioned by previous UPA Government but not pursued by TRS Government, would be made a reality.
Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress party has been fighting battle at two fronts. “In Delhi we have Narender Modi and BJP and in Telangana we are fighting with TRS. While Modi is spreading hatred and dividing the nation, KCR is supporting him.
KCR backed Modi when he brought demonitisation which was aimed at converting black money into white. GST has finished the beedi workers and many other informal sectors. Thousands were left jobless. But KCR supported Modi on GST. He also backed BJP candidates in the elections for President and Vice President of India,” he said.
The Congress president said that the TRS should actually be called T-RSS. “KCR’s only aim is to make Modi Prime Minister again and India should be run by RSS. There is a partnership between them. While Modi was always silent on KCR, the TRS chief continuously praised Modi.
Our coalition will first defeat TRS in Telangana and BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Mizoram. Then will defeat Modi in 2019,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said people must realise that TRS and MIM are BJP’s B-Team and C-Team. “MIM contested Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Assam only to divide Congress votes. It doesn’t have any base in those States. But it contested only to make BJP win elections,” he said while adding that there was a need to break their partnership and only Congress can do this.
“We are winning the next elections. The dream of new Telangana with jobs, water and land for poor will be fulfilled by Congress and alliance partners. I’m not going to make hollow promises like putting Rs. 15 lakh in bank accounts. If you want to listen to fake promises, then you can go to Modi or KCR meetings.
We will ensure crop loan waiver and you will get water,” he said.
Earlier, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy slammed KCR Government for its failure to provide jobs. He said nearly 1.07 lakh vacancies existed at the time of formation of Telangana. The situation has not changed even after four-and-a-half years.
He said that the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR), which was sanctioned by the previous Congress-led UPA Government, would have attracted Rs. 2.5 lakh crore of investment and created nearly 52 lakh jobs. He said this was mentioned in the first address by Governor to the joint session of Telangana Legislature.
However, this was not implemented which had a negative impact on erstwhile Ranga Reddy district.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said KCR deliberately changed the Pranahita Chevella project design to deny water to people of Pargi. He said TRS Government has failed to fulfil all other promises. He said Muslims were cheated by KCR on the promises of 12% reservation, judicial powers to Wakf Board, implementation of Urdu as second official language.
He said voting for TRS or MIM was like voting for BJP. Therefore, he said the only way to defeat Modi is to make Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister of India.
On the second day of his Telangana tour, Rahul Gandhi today addressed a meeting with management and teachers of Government Recognised Private Educational Institutions at Classic Convention Center in Shamshabad.
He also addressed two more public meetings at C.R. Nagar Ground in Bhupalpally and at P.M. Ground, Armoor of Nizamabad district. (INN)