Referring to the race for CM’s post in Karnataka and political instability in Maharashtra, KT Rama Rao asked if there was no stable government, how could a State develop and prosper
Published Date – 07:31 PM, Wed – 8 November 23
BRS working president KT Rama Rao at an interactive session with the Telangana Industrialists Federation in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: Citing the influx of companies from Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra into Telangana to set up their new units, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said this was possible only due to the stable government and able leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
Referring to the race for the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka and political instability in Maharashtra, the BRS working president asked if there was no stable government, how could a State develop and prosper. The industrial sector would be the worst affected, he said at an interactive session with the Telangana Industrialists Federation here on Wednesday. Members from over 40 organisations were present.
Pointing out that the Mysuru-based Kaynes Technology was setting up its new unit in Telangana after the BRS government allotted land in 10 days, he said the company had initially approached the Congress government in Karnataka. After appealing for land for six weeks and failing to get any assurance from the Karnataka government, it had decided to set up its new unit at Kongara Kalan here impressed with the BRS government’s performance, Rama Rao said.
Due to the power crisis in the neighbouring Karnataka, farmers and other sectors were badly affected. K Chandrashekhar Rao with his vision had increased the installed power capacity in Telangana from 7,000 MW to 24,000 MW and as a result, there was no power crisis in the State, he said, adding that this was not achieved overnight and the State government had raised loans and invested them in productive sectors like energy, irrigation and health.
“One can compare the performance of the Congress government, followed by that of the BJP government in Karnataka in the last 10 years and with that of BRS government’s performance in any sector. Stats will make many things clear,” Rama Rao said.
Countering Rahul Gandhi’s charges that the BRS was the BJP’s ‘B’ team, he said the BRS (then TRS) had a pact with Congress in 2004 and then with Telugu Desam in 2009. BRS never had any tie-up with the BJP even in the local body elections, he said, adding that the BRS was always the A team of the people of Telangana.
More importantly, there were 13 political parties, which were neither supporting the NDA or the I.N.D.I.A alliance. Both the Congress and the BJP do not want any new party to emerge as a force to reckon with at the Centre, he said.
Regarding Opposition’s allegations on corruption in the BRS government, he asked who was stopping the union government from taking any action. “If there was corruption or any other irregularities, do you think Prime Minister Narendra Modi would spare us?” he asked.
‘Opposition parties trying to confuse people’
Stating that opposition parties were trying to confuse the people with their false claims over Kaleshwaram project, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the Congress government in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh had never committed itself to executing the Pranahita-Chevella project.
The Congress wanted to lift River Godavari water at Tummidihatti and supply it to Chevella through canals without any reservoir. Despite low water availability at Tummidihatti, besides construction of a barrage would lead to submergence of villages at Maharashtra, the Congress government wanted to go ahead as it would trigger an inter-State dispute and the project would have to be shelved. Considering all these factors, the BRS government constructed the Medigadda barrage at the confluence point of River Godavari and Pranahita.
Construction of pump houses, barrages, tunnels and developing canal networks led to an increase in the project cost from Rs.40,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore. However, Rahul Gandhi was saying that there was a scam of Rs 1 lakh crore and was helping the BJP to build a narrative, he said, adding that the engineering issue at Medigadda was not the first of its kind. The Srisailam power generation unit, which was constructed during the Congress rule, was submerged. There were similar issues at the Prakasam barrage and Dowleswaram project as well.
“About 130 people died in the Morbi bridge accident at Gujarat. There was no report, the Chief Minister did not take any responsibility and was there any culpable criminal action against the agency. Rahul Gandhi never raises this issue,” Rama Rao said.
The BRS working president also said his government would consider trimming Rythu Bandhu assistance to four to five acres and not to landlords who owned several acres. “After coming to power, we will definitely think about this,” he said.
