Ponguleti: Congress Opened New Chapter In Welfare Of Poor

Laying the foundation stone for CC roads worth ₹1.07 crore in Yendulapuram municipality of Khammam district, the minister said Telangana was the only state in the country supplying fine rice to ration card holders. He said initiatives such as free travel for women in TGSRTC buses, free electricity for domestic connections and the Indiramma housing scheme had ushered in a new era of welfare. He added that, besides issuing new ration cards, lakhs of new family members had been included in existing cards, bringing visible relief to poor households.

Targeting the previous BRS government, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy alleged that it diluted the housing scheme for nearly a decade and misled people by showcasing graphic images of double-bedroom houses. He said the BRS government had dashed the dreams of the poor to own pucca houses. After assuming power, the Congress government revived the Indiramma housing scheme and sanctioned 5.5 lakh houses in the first phase. The second phase would begin in April, and all eligible poor families would be provided houses over the next three years, he said.

The minister asserted that the Congress did not believe in backtracking on poll promises and maintained a balance between welfare and development. He alleged that during the previous BRS regime, students in welfare hostels were denied even nutritious food. To address this, the Congress government increased diet charges for hostel students by 40 per cent and cosmetic charges by 200 per cent. Stating that public support was the real strength of the Congress government, he expressed confidence that people would continue to back the party in the forthcoming elections. Khammam district collector Anudeep Durishetti and Khammam Police commissioner Sunil Dutt were present.