CM Revanth Flags SIR Voter Deletion Concerns at CWC Meeting
CM raises electoral roll concerns at Congress meeting, highlights health and education reforms
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday reportedly told the high command during a Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi that more than 40 lakh voters were at risk of deletion from the electoral roll during the special intensive revision (SIR) in Telangana.
Before the CWC meeting, Revanth Reddy held discussions with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary K.C. Venugopal. In a post on his X handle, Revanth Reddy said the discussions focussed on key national imperatives, from exposing how the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) had hollowed out electoral integrity to shaping essential socio-economic strategies for the country.
Party sources said Revanth Reddy told the CWC that the ECI had served notices to a large number of voters for what he termed trivial reasons; the poll panel was insisting that they submit multiple documents to establish their eligibility, resulting in the possibility of large-scale deletions.
The Chief Minister also participated in a separate meeting chaired by Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on education and health sector reforms in Congress-ruled states along with health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha.
Revanth Reddy highlighted the education and health reforms undertaken by the Congress government during the past 1,000 days. He spoke about the establishment of 105 Young India Integrated Residential Schools, envisaged as free, international-standard residential institutions for students from the SC, ST, BC, minority and economically weaker upper-caste communities. The government plans one school in each Assembly constituency, with a total estimated outlay of Rs 21,000 crore and around Rs 200 crore earmarked for each modern campus spread over 20 to 25 acres.
The Chief Minister said the integrated campus model was intended to replace caste-segregated and fragmented residential facilities and bring students from different social backgrounds together, with the objective of promoting equality, mutual respect and social cohesion from a young age.
He also highlighted the government's initiative to upgrade outdated Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into Advanced Training Centres (ATCs) to provide students with modern skills and make them employment-ready. The Chief Minister also referred to the Young India Skill University, which offers job-oriented skill training and career programmes in partnership with industry to improve employment opportunities for youth.
Revanth Reddy told the meeting that the government had extended its breakfast scheme from pre-primary to Class 12 in government schools and junior colleges, benefiting more than 25 lakh students every day. He also highlighted the implementation of mid-day meals for students from Classes 1 to 12.
In the health sector, the Chief Minister highlighted the enhancement of the Rajiv Aarogyasri medical insurance cover from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh providing free treatment for poor in private and corporate hospitals. He also referred to the construction of a new Osmania General Hospital, four Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) super-speciality hospitals at different locations around Hyderabad and a 24-floor super-speciality hospital in Warangal.
Revanth Reddy said the new hospitals were nearing completion and would soon provide advanced medical treatment free of cost to poor and needy patients.