He further appealed to KCR to come to the House and offer his valuable suggestions during debates.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said BRS chief and Leader of Opposition K. Chandrashekar Rao had drawn ₹1,06,56,674 as salary and allowances since December 1, 2023, without attending Assembly proceedings. He called for a policy decision to prevent legislators from drawing salaries without discharging their duties.
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the Legislative Assembly, Revanth Reddy launched a scathing attack on Chandrashekhar Rao for his continued absence from the Legislative Assembly and questioned the BRS chief’s commitment to democratic institutions and legislative responsibilities. He also noted that the opposition leader did not attend the unveiling of the ‘Telangana Thalli’ statue in the Assembly premises.
Launching a broader attack on the BRS, the Chief Minister accused its leadership of retaining an “arrogant and dictatorial mindset” even after losing power in the 2023 Assembly elections. He said the previous BRS regime functioned with autocratic tendencies, undermining democratic values, and added that some leaders continued to behave like monarchs despite the people being sovereign in a democracy.
Backed by statistics, Revanth Reddy said the 10-year BRS rule had severely damaged Telangana’s economy, leaving behind a debt burden of ₹8.11 lakh crore. He stated that his government had raised `3.47 lakh crore in the past 26 months but repaid ₹3.20 lakh crore towards principal and interest on loans taken by the previous government, highlighting the financial strain inherited by his government.
The Chief Minister took a strong dig at BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao over his criticism of ongoing demolition drives, pointing out that the same leaders had supported stringent action against encroachments when in power. “What was considered right then cannot suddenly become wrong now,” he remarked, after playing past video statements of BRS leaders in the House.
He said that the Congress government was ready to constitute a fact-finding committee to examine encroachments and demolitions carried out during both the previous BRS and current Congress regimes.
He also invited the BRS to suggest any agency for a probe into alleged irregularities in industrial land conversions in Hyderabad and the issuance of Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) from 2014 onwards, assuring that the government was prepared to hand over the investigation to any agency of their choice.
The Chief Minister warned that future generations would not forgive the present leadership if lakes were not restored and the city protected from pollution. He outlined measures taken by the government, including tax exemptions for electric vehicles and plans to retrofit existing auto-rickshaws under the ‘CURE’ initiative into electric vehicles free of cost.
Highlighting the government’s long-term vision, Revanth Reddy said the “Telangana Rising 2047” document would serve as a roadmap for rapid and inclusive development, aiming to transform the state into a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and a $3 trillion economy by 2047. He added that a comprehensive policy on artificial intelligence had been prepared to tackle the impending “AI tsunami” and position Telangana at the forefront of technological advancement.
The Chief Minister said the state had been divided into CURE, PURE, and RARE zones for focused development and reiterated that his government would push ahead with growth and welfare initiatives “against all odds,” even if the opposition chose not to cooperate.
Invoking the legacy of national leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, Revanth Reddy said transformative reforms and visionary leadership were essential to steer the state towards sustained growth.
