India needs \'double impact sarkar\': KTR

Hyderabad: Making a strong pitch for bringing a 'double impact sarkar' at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao said, "What India needs today is not 'double engine sarkar' but 'double impact sarkar' led by a visionary leader like K. Chandrashekar Rao. The nation is looking towards the Telangana model of welfare and development and the people are looking up to Chandrashekar Rao for his leadership qualities.”

Replying to the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor's address in Legislative Assembly on Saturday, Rama Rao accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing 'economic sanctions' on Telangana as if the state was an enemy country.

"Telangana is moving at a jet speed in welfare and development. But the BJP government is creating hurdles in the path of progress. Usually, economic sanctions are imposed on enemy nations. But the Modi government is doing so on Telangana state. It has imposed restrictions on loans and has even threatened various agencies against sanctioning loans to the state," Rama Rao alleged.

Claiming that no other leader had strived for development of the agriculture sector since independence as was done by Chandrashekar Rao, he cited Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, 24-hour free power supply and provision of sufficient water for the farming community with the construction of projects such as world's largest lift irrigation scheme Kaleshwaram.

"Only extraordinary leaders with pragmatic vision can achieve such feats. No Prime Minister or national leader has come up with such innovative and welfare programmes for the farming community," he said, adding that financial assistance of Rs 65,000 crore was given to 65 lakh farmers under Rythu Bandhu since 2018.

Expressing pride over Telangana emerging as one among the major contributors to India's economy within a short span, Rama Rao said, "Telangana contributed Rs 4.21 lakh crore to the Centre in the form of various taxes. But what TS got in return was about Rs 1.97 lakh crore in the form of tax devolution and other grants. About Rs 2.25 lakh crore generated from Telangana was used for development activities in other states. I am not saying we should get back 100 per cent from the Centre in return. But it hurts when local BJP leaders say that the TS government is enjoying the funds from the Centre.”