Bhatti Vikramarka: Hyderabad was developed by Congress governments, not TRS

Hyderabad: Remarks by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Bhatti Vikramarka on the development of Greater Hyderabad triggered an uproar in the Telangana Assembly on Wednesday.

While participating in a short discussion on development of infrastructure in the Greater Hyderabad area, Vikramarka alleged that the TRS government has made big statements about development nothing has been done so far during its six years in power.

Enumerating various public sector undertakings and academic institutions in Hyderabad including BHEL, DRDL, ECIL, DRDO, IIIT, IIT and National Institute of Fashion Technology, he said that all those premier institutions were established during the Congress regime. He asked TRS members to name one such institution that they have set up so far.

The CLP leader said that such institutions would give job opportunities to young people, and shore up the brand image of Hyderabad.

Vikaramarka also claimed that it was also Congress governments which brought the Krishna, Godavari and Manjeera waters to Hyderabad and built several housing colonies such as KPHB, Baghlingampally and Vanasthalipuram. It was also a Congress government that provided house sites to journalists.

He accused the ruling party of insulting B R Ambedkar by dumping his statue in a garbage van.

Ruling party members took strong exception to Vikramarka's remarks and contested the claims he made. Municipal and urban development minister KT Rama Rao pointed out that if the TRS had one nothing, why had the people of the state and the city given consecutive victories to the ruling party.

He said it was Congress leaders who were suffering political unemployment as the people had rejected them in the 2014 and 2018 Assembly elections and in the 2016 GHMC elections. The party would be washed out in the coming elections in Hyderabad too.

He said neither chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao nor he had ever claimed that BHEL or other public sector undertakings were brought in by the TRS. Stating that “we sincerely accept the good deeds of previous governments.
The Aarogyasri scheme introduced by Y S Rajasekhar Reddy was acknowledged by the chief minister several times in the Assembly.”

K T Rama Rao said, “We don’t want any appreciation from the opposition, but they must least accept and speak the facts instead of making some sweeping remarks to ease their heartburn.”