Revanth Reddy said he will ride the Hyderabad Metro to Old City with AIMIM's Akbaruddin Owaisi and seek votes from the people.
Published Jul 27, 2024 | 10:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 27, 2024 | 10:53 PM
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday, 27 July, said that his government was committed to extending the metro rail to Hyderabad’s Old City, which he preferred to call the original city — unlike the previous government — before the next Assembly elections in 2028.
Intervening in a debate on the state Budget in the Assembly, he said that his government has more concerns for the people of Old City than the previous BRS regime. He recalled the late central minister S Jaipal Reddy’s efforts to take the metro rail to Old City, but it did not materialise under the BRS regime.
The chief minister said that he sought funds from the central government because it was his responsibility to get as much assistance as possible for the state.
“When I called Narendra Modi bade bhai (big brother), it was not out of affection for him or in anticipation of any favour from him. It is because as prime minister, Narendra Modi has to treat all states equally in releasing funds or sanctioning schemes,” he told the Assembly.
“If Modi does not give funds for metro rail, I will not wait forever. Whether or not the Centre helps, the state government would extend the metro rail to Old City. I will travel on it along with AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi before the term of the current Assembly ends and seek votes,” he said.
According to the 2011 census, Muslims comprised 65 percent of Old Hyderabad City’s population, while Hindus accounted for 30 percent.
In another context, the chief minister dared the BRS whether it was ready for an inquiry into the scams that took place in the distribution of sarees to women ahead of the Bathukamma festival, implementation of sheep distribution to Yadavas and KCR kits for women, who deliver children in government hospitals.
The chief minister was livid when T Harish Rao, during the discussion on the Budget, repeatedly attacked the Congress government for not honouring the six guarantees promised on the eve of the last Assembly elections.
“Under the BRS dispensation, kilograms of sarees were purchased from Surat and distributed to women in Telangana on the eve of Bathuakamma festival. The women, after seeing their poor quality, set them on fire,” Revanth Reddy said.
The chief minister said that the previous BRS government carried a taint of ₹700 crore-corruption in the purchase and distribution of sheep to Yadava beneficiaries.
“The scam, on the face of it, appears to be ₹700 crore. It might be even more. That is why the ED also has entered the scene,” the chief minister said.
He slammed the BRS for not only borrowing heavily but also selling its assets like the irresponsible sons of a family. He said Harish Rao pointed out the debts that the present government was raising while concealing how much land the previous government had sold to raise resources.
The chief minister tried to turn the tables on the BRS which had been maintaining that it had forfeited eligibility to raise to ₹40,000 crore per year under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act because it refused to allow fixing of meters to agriculture pump sets.
The chief mistier, holding out documents said the BRS government and power utilities had signed an agreement with the central power ministry that they would fix meters at the consumer level, and distribution transformers level and at the consumer level by December 2018.
“Harish Rao is basing his arguments on lies and falsehood,” he said.
The chief minister said that the BRS had not learnt any lessons even after the people had defeated the party in the Assembly elections and given zero seats in the Lok Sabha polls.
“The BRS had sold away Outer Ring Road worth lakhs of crores of rupees for just ₹7,000 crore. Let us ferret out the truth about how much land the BRS government had sold in the past,” he retaliated.
He said that though the people of Mahbubnagar had sent K Chandrashekar Rao to Parliament, he did nothing for the district till he demitted office (of the chief minister) in December last.
KCR had not completed Palamuru Ranga Reddy lift irrigation scheme even after spending ₹20,000 crore and converting Rangareddy into a desert by redesigning Pranahita Chevella Project as Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
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