He stated that those seeking profits in public infrastructure and health expenditure could be businessmen at best but not the most suitable rulers for the State.
Published Date – 27 February 2024, 06:23 PM
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Hyderabad: In a strong retort to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s recent criticism of Mission Bhagiratha, former Minister T Harish Rao asserted that the government’s duty was not to operate as a profit-driven real estate company, but to prioritise the welfare of the people.
He stated that those seeking profits in public infrastructure and health expenditure could be businessmen at best but not the most suitable rulers for the State.
In a statement here on Tuesday, Harish Rao reminded that Mission Bhagiratha, initiated by the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, successfully ended decades of water-related struggles for the people of Telangana and provided them access to safe drinking water, without requiring to step out of their homes.
He emphasised that Telangana was the first state in the country to provide drinking water to 100 percent of households.
He said Revanth Reddy was spreading misinformation by exaggerating the expenditure on Mission Bhagiratha as Rs.50,000 crore, whereas the actual cost was Rs.35,000 crore.
He expressed disappointment with Revanth Reddy’s view that deems non-profitable projects as unviable and wasteful expenditure.
“Due to the novel initiative of the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, people of Telangana now have access to safe drinking water. But Revanth Reddy, who is intellectually bankrupt, does not have a basic understanding of the needs of the State and its people,” he lamented.
The former Minister pointed out that the number of households with tap connections increased from 5,672 in 2014 to 23,930 by 2023 which includes remote villages and tribal hamlets, bringing improved health conditions and ending fluorosis problems.
He criticised Revanth Reddy for consistently misleading people that the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme was wasteful expenditure, despite the BRS proving in the Assembly with all statistics on improved irrigation, drinking water, crop cultivation, and fish production since the State formation.
He advised the latter not to continue accusing the BRS regime, but instead to take up repair works at Medigadda barrage, to ensure that farmers of Telangana do not suffer unnecessarily.
Harish Rao also asked whether Revanth Reddy, who talks about profits and losses, would consider canceling various welfare schemes like Aasara pensions, Rythu Bandhu investment support, Aarogyasri, and fee reimbursement.
He ridiculed the Congress leaders for accusing the BRS of turning Telangana into a debt-ridden state while promising to address budget gaps through market borrowings.
The former Finance Minister also ridiculed the Congress government for focusing on criticising the previous BRS regime rather than delivering its electoral promises to the people.
Responding to Revanth Reddy’s comments about his height, Harish Rao suggested that such remarks were not civilised and irrelevant to the public, emphasising that people prefer those who work for them.
