Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday blamed the previous BRS govt for 30 lakh homeless families not getting their own houses in the first phase of the Indiramma housing scheme. Continuing his tirade against former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, the CM said he will “expose how and what all KCR and the BRS govt did to turn a revenue surplus state into a revenue deficit one” in the remainder of the budget session.
Pointing out that the Congress govt’s borrowings went into paying Rs 1.53 lakh crore towards servicing over Rs 8.29 lakh crore debt, he said: “If BRS had not left the mountain of debt, this Rs 1.53 lakh crore could have been utilised to give 30 lakh own houses to the homeless families and Rs 2 lakh crop loan waiver to 75 lakh farmers.”
Addressing a public meeting in Station Ghanpur assembly constituency of the combined Warangal district, Revanth said the state’s income had declined considerably in the current fiscal contrary to expectations. As a result, there was a shortfall of about Rs 70,000 crore against the budget estimate of Rs 2.91 lakh crore.
He found fault with BRS leaders for terming KCR as “Jaathi Pitha (father of Telangana)” and said great personalities such as Konda Laxman Bapuji and Prof Jayashankar, who sacrificed everything for Telangana, deserve it.
“A person who looted lakhs of crores, addicted to liquor, and who sucked Telangana people’s blood cannot be termed as the father of Telangana,” Revanth said.
Before addressing the public meeting, the CM inaugurated and laid foundations for various projects worth nearly Rs 800 crore. The CM said he was not in favour of borrowing more money and instead would try to increase revenue to speed up welfare projects.The state govt was making all efforts to develop Warangal so that it could compete with Hyderabad, he said.
“The Congress govt achieved Mamnoor airport permission and the long-pending Kazipet rail coach factory. Soon, a railway division status would be achieved. We are pursuing with the central govt to approve funds for the underground drainage master plan and other key projects for Warangal,” he said.
“I don’t want to keep the people of the state in the dark about the financial condition of the state. The previous BRS govt looted the state, leaving behind Rs 8.29 lakh crore debt, including pending bills. I informed the assembly about it. But it is only an interval. In the last 10 years of BRS govt, where did they spend an accumulated budget of 20 lakh crore? I will further expose how and what all KCR and BRS govt did to turn a revenue surplus state into a revenue deficit state and gave a debt-trapped Telangana to the Congress govt, in the remainder of the budget session of the assembly,” Revanth said.
Revanth also asked why KCR was confined to the farmhouse.
“Why doesn’t he share his experience for the welfare of the people? He should do justice to the salary he is taking from the govt. How did the Kalvakuntla family earn Rs 1 lakh crore? They should disclose the skill of earning so much money to at least the unemployed youth. I will ensure that all those who looted Telangana’s wealth are exposed,” he said.
Hitting out at BRS MLA T Harish Rao for claiming credit for irrigation projects in the state, he said: “I am ready for a debate on Sri Ram Sagar, Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam, and numerous other projects constructed by the Congress govts in the past. Let KCR come for a debate as Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao may not know much about Rs 1.80 lakh crore spent by the KCR govt on irrigation projects, including Rs 1 lakh crore on Kaleshwaram alone, which collapsed. Does KCR deserve the leader of the opposition status when he does not come to the assembly?”.
On KCR’s statement in the past that some crop varieties would generate huge profits in crores, the CM said, “Let KCR tell the technique to the farmers. We will send 1,000 youth everyday to KCR’s farmhouse to learn the technique.”