Hyderabad: Union Tourism Minister Kishan Reddy on Tuesday accepted Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao’s challenge for a debate on the ongoing paddy controversy but put a rider that the CM should speak in a civilized manner.
“I am ready for a debate on the issue at the Telangana martyr’s memorial any day. But, I cannot use abusive language as he (KCR) does. The debate can be held on condition that it shall be done in a democratic and civilized manner,” the minister said at a media conference in New Delhi.
Kishan Reddy reiterated that he already spoke to the concerned Union minister and made him agree that the Centre would lift all the existing stocks of paddy and parboiled rice till the last grain from TS farmers. Lifting of stocks is expected in the next Rabi and this can be planned in a little while.”
“This is what I have been telling farmers with a view to to instilling confidence in them. They are in deep distress following the failure of the state government to procure stocks,” the minister said.
Referring to KCR’s press conference a day ago where he hurled abuses against BJP leaders and Kishan Reddy in particular, the Union minister said he was not surprised. “The chief minister has been feeling highly insecure after the TRS defeat in Huzurabad bypoll. He spoke in a way as if the sky is going to fall, earth is going to shake or TRS is collapsing,” Kishan Reddy said in a sarcastic tone.
Maintaining that he came from a humble background, Kishan Reddy said he took part in several agitations including the Separate Telangana stir in the past 40 years. More importantly, he convinced the BJP central leadership on the need to vote for the Telangana Bill.
“KCR, however, could not digest my elevation to the Union Cabinet and never gave me an audience despite my repeated efforts to meet him to discuss issues concerning the state.”
On use of abusive language by the CM, the minister said he did not mind KCR targeting him but was more concerned about him, in the CM’s seat, bringing disrepute to the Constitutional position. “How can a CM criticise Prime Minister Modi who is providing a corruption free and efficient governance when KCR, on his part, thoroughly failed to develop Telangana, a revenue surplus state at the time of start in 2014, but is now on the brink of bankruptcy,” he asked.
TOURISM INSTITUTES BILL
The Ministry of Tourism will be introducing the “first-ever bill” in Parliament during the current winter session, said the Minister for Tourism and Culture. “The first bill that will be introduced in the parliament would be consolidating all the tourism institutes and bringing them under a University,” Kishan Reddy said.
The ministry runs the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) and the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and the Institutes of Hotel Management.
