Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of early elections in the state. “There will be no early elections; elections will be as scheduled in 2019,” he said.
Mr Rao, while replying to Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address in the Legislative Council, reacted to the speculation of TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and others, that the sops announced in the Budget indicated midterm polls.
Taking a dig at the Congress for levelling baseless allegations and trying to stall projects by moving courts, the CM advised Leader of the Opposition Mohd. Ali Shabbir to withdraw pending cases and sought his party’s cooperation in completion of irrigation and other projects in the state.
“Telangana ki tehzeeb, Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb hai. We will get rid of evils in the society. I need your cooperation in this regard, ensure clean society and accelerate development,” he said.
Mr Rao said that while Deputy CM Kadiam Srihari was trying to regularise contract employees in his education department, a Congress leader got a stay from High Court.
When Mr Shabbir Ali said that sheep of other states were not suitable for Hyderabadi biryani, Mr Rao said, “Congress made a bakra of the people all along. Shabbir ji, you don’t know which sheep biryani you are eating now.”
Corruption dipped, says Telangana CM
The TRS government will bring in new legislations providing 12 per cent reservations for Muslims and STs in education and employment, proper utilisation of SC, ST funds, and stringent action against those levelling baseless allegations against the government, in the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar, who made the announcement in the Legislative Council, said that political corruption has come down in his government and focus will now be to weed out corruption at lower levels.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Mohd. Ali Shabbir lashed out at the government and the CM for various “omissions and commissions” including lack of proper representation to women in the Cabinet and Legislature.
He questioned the CM as to how he got such huge money in a short span to launch two daily newspaper and a TV news channel. “You had little income in 2002. How did you get such huge amounts now? Is it not political corruption?” he asked.
Chief Minister said government will bring in a new legislation this session against false allegations saying either you have to “prove or perish.”
He said in two or three days, the BC and ST commissions will submit reports on 12 per cent reservations and he would take an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure reservations for Muslims and STs.
“Muslims will get benefits on par with SCs and STs in scholarship, foreign study etc,” he assured. Mr Rao added, “We consulted legal luminaries, retired SC, HC judges on the issue. There is no provision for reservations based on religion. We have to establish socioeconomic backwardness,” he said.
Recalling how TRS Government revived Telangana from scratch in a span of 2.5 years, he said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stumped and patted him when he told him the state achieved 21 per cent growth, much more than Gujarat’s 11 per cent, that licences for industries were given in a fortnight.
“Demonetisation had slight affect on stamps and registration department and motor vehicles. Power sector is strong; IT is growing rapidly and will touch Rs 75,000 crore mark. We are now strengthening rural economy,” he said.
Referring to a message on WhatsApp that there is four hour power cut, Mr Rao asserted it was false and he would ensure power doesn’t go off even for 4 seconds.
He also said there will be no contract, outsourcing, NMR and other such jobs in future but only full time and good pay jobs.
