Congress Cut 40% Recipients For Gas Cylinder, Free Power Schemes: BRS

BRS senior leader Dr Dasoju Sravan today accused the Congress government of cheating the people of Telangana in the implementation of its "six guarantees" given on the eve of the Asembly elections of 2023.

Addressing media persons at Telangana Bhavan, Sravan said that the Congress government was not serious about implementing the guarantees, and had been resorting to delay tactics.

He said that despite the availability of data on eligible beneficiaries, the Congress government enacted a drama in the name of Praja Palana and forced the common people to stand in long queues and spend money to apply for the schemes. He said that the entire exercise of Praja Palana was to delay the implementation of the guarantees and cut down on a large number of beneficiaries.

Sravan said that there were 1.24 crore gas connections in the State. Of them, about 90 lakh consumers were white ration card holders. However, the Congress government was proposing to provide gas cylinders for Rs 500 to only 40 lakh people.

"The Congress government did not disclose how many people applied during the Praja Palana program for the gas cylinders for Rs 500 scheme. There is also no clarity on the pending applications for white ration cards. Suppressing these figures, the Congress government is preparing to implement the guarantee for only 40 lakh people out of the 90 lakh eligible beneficiaries," he said.

The BRS leader also condemned the Congress government for bringing the ceiling on the number of cylinders to three from five a year. "Is this not open cheating? During the election campaigning, the Congress promised to give gas cylinders for Rs 500 all the consumers. After forming the government, it changed colours and declared that the scheme would apply only to white ration card holders. It also reduced the number of beneficiaries and put a ceiling on the number of cylinders. Therefore, people who voted for the Congress with the hope of getting gas cylinders for Rs 500 are now feeling betrayed," he said, and exhorted the people to question the Congress MLAs and other leaders regarding this when the latter visited their areas.

Sravan also condemned the proposed methodology for the implementation of the scheme. He said that instead of reimbursing the amount paid above Rs 500 per cylinder to the beneficiary's account, the Congress government could enter into an agreement with the oil companies and banks. The list of selected beneficiaries could be handed over to the oil companies, who would deliver the cylinder for Rs 500; the government could then directly reimburse the difference amount to the oil companies through banks. He alleged that the Congress government was instead now asking the beneficiaries to pay the total amount for their gas cylinders and then wait for months to get the reimbursements.

Sravan also said that there were 1.34 crore domestic electricity connections across Telangana. Of them, nearly 1.05 crore consumed less than 200 units of power every month, and as promised by the Congress, all of them should get free power, he said. However, the Congress had levied certain conditions for the implementation of the scheme, which would leave a majority of eligible beneficiaries out of the scheme's purview, Sravan alleged.