Cong. Plans To Make Telangana No. 1 In India: Bhatti

Nalgonda: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday said the Congress government is working with a clear plan for the state’s continuous development and the effective implementation of welfare schemes to ensure Telangana ranks among the top states in the country on all fronts.

He laid the foundation stone for the Young India Integrated School and a 33/11 kV sub-station at Wyra in Khammam district.

Speaking at the meeting, he said development programmes and welfare schemes serve their purpose only when they improve the living conditions of the poor. He asserted that there is no room for middlemen or brokers in the administration of the Congress government.

Emphasising the importance of education, he said it is a powerful tool that transforms the lives of the poor and, in turn, society. The state government has launched Young India Integrated Schools to provide international-standard education to underprivileged children. He criticised the previous BRS government for failing to revise diet and cosmetic charges for hostel students for 10 years, denying them nutritious food. After coming to power, the Congress government increased diet charges by 40 per cent and cosmetic charges by 200 per cent, and also revised hostel menus based on suggestions from doctors and nutritionists. Officers have also been mandated to visit hostels and have lunch with students once a month.

He said the financial empowerment of women leads to the overall development of families. The government aims to make one crore women in Telangana crorepatis. He said the previous BRS government had stopped interest-free loans for Self-Help Group (SHG) women, a scheme originally launched by the Congress government in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the government aims to extend ₹20,000 crore in loans to women every year and disburse ₹1 lakh crore over the next five years. Despite criticism from the Opposition, the government has already extended ₹27,000 crore in interest-free loans to women, he said, adding that the next phase of loan distribution will take place in the next few days.

He noted that welfare schemes are financially strengthening poor families by reducing their daily expenses. Around 93 lakh families are receiving fine rice under the Public Distribution System, while 53 lakh families benefit from free power for consumption up to 200 units.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister performed a groundbreaking puja for the Indira Mahila Dairy compound wall at Bonakal and released fishlings into Pedda Cheruvu at Madhira.