KTR Accepts Ponguleti's Challenge Of Quitting Politics

BRS working president K T Rama Rao today said that he was accepting the challenge of State minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy that he should quit politics if it was proved that there was nothing wrong in the Amrut tenders.

He demanded an inquiry of the minister by a sitting judge immediately.

Speaking to the media along with party leaders at Telangana Bhavan, he said, "A minister has given a build-up that he will resign if my allegations are proved right. If he is really sincere, let's go to the High Court CJ together. Let's seek an inquiry by a sitting judge immediately. Since there is a sitting judge, there will be no mistakes in this. I will take up political asceticism if I am proved wrong. If the minister has some difficulty in approaching the High Court CJ, let him fix a date and time and we can go to the Central Vigilance Commissioner, who is at the Centre, together. I am saying the same thing to the minister and the Chief Minister. The tenders should be cancelled at least for now (sic)," he said.

KTR said that Singareni had made tremendous progress during the BRS rule and that Singareni's profits had increased significantly in the last 10 years. "We have also been increasing the share of the workers in the profits. Only 10% was given to the workers in the combined State. During the Congress rule before the creation of Telangana, only 11% to 20% was given. From 1999 to 2014, only Rs 376 crore was given to the Singareni workers. The gains under the Congress rule never crossed Rs 400 crore," he said.

"Under the KCR government the mines crossed Rs 1,000 crore in profits. In the last nine-and-a-half years, we have given Rs 2,780 crore to the workers," he said and added that in 2022-23, the BRS government gave 32% of the Singareni profits to the workers.

"On an average, we paid Rs 1,60,000 to each worker. The Chief Minister is backstabbing Singareni and the workers. The Congress government is exploiting the hard work of the workers. The CM is making false statements that he is giving a 33% share. Singareni's profits are Rs 4,701 crore, and if 33% of the profits are being given, a bonus of Rs 1,551 crore should be given to the workers. Each worker will then get Rs 3.70 lakh. But only Rs 1,90,000 is being given. The Congress has to admit that it is giving only 16%. Don't cheat the Singareni workers," he said.

He also demanded an answer from the CPI on the "conspiratorial attitude" of the Congress, and claimed that Singareni would be privatised if the workers did not fight. "This conspiracy should be recognised by the workers. The government should immediately respond," KTR said.