Governor E S L Narasimhan stressed upon the eradication of political corruption in Telangana, and most other plans mentioned in the TRS manifesto.
Governor E S L Narasimhan stressed upon the eradication of political corruption in Telangana.
Addressing a joint session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly and the Council in Hyderabad on Wednesday, the Governor said that a transparent strategy would be implemented to eliminate graft at all levels.
"My government believes that graft, particularly political corruption, is the bane of our polity and economy. Unless it is eradicated, the fruits of progress cannot be enjoyed by one and all. Hence, my government is committed to root out political corruption at all levels," he said.
The Governor began his 22-page speech by paying tributes to the martyrs of Telangana, and praised those who had participated in the statehood movement.
"They loved their Telangana so much that they didn't bother about their careers, studies and even the sentiments of their parents. For them the driving force was only a belief that crores of fellow Telanganites would have a bright future with their 'little sacrifice' of career and even lives," he said.
He announced Rs. 10 lakhs as monetary assistance to each of the bereaved families.
"A government job will be provided to one eligible person in each such family. Cultivable land will be provided in case the family is involved in farming, as also housing where needed, along with free education and healthcare for the family," he said.
The Governor said that special emphasis would be laid on the welfare of SCs, STs, BCs, minorities and the poor among other sections of the society by spending Rs 1 lakh crores on them in the next 5 years.
He said that the government would allocate Rs 50,000 crores for the welfare of the SCs, and Rs 25,000 crores for the STs, during the next 5 years.
He also reiterated the promise of giving 12% reservation to Scheduled Tribes in education and government jobs, besides conferring ST status upon Kaithi Lambadas and Valmiki-Boyas.
Narasimhan said that up to 12% reservation would be given to minorities in Telangana, and Rs 1,000 crores would be allocated for their welfare.
He said appropriate steps would be taken for the preservance of the Urdu language.
The Governor said that a pension of Rs 1,500 would be given to the physically handicapped, and Rs 1,000 to the aged. Destitute women would get a monthly pension of Rs 1,000, and beedi workers facing financial distress would be paid an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month.
He reiterated the promise of giving dignified housing for the poor, with each unit having two bedrooms, a hall and a kitchen with separate bath and toilet facilities.
Narasimhan said that the government was committed to providing compulsory and free education from KG to PG with CBSE syllabus in the English medium to all needy students.
He also announced a welfare fund for journalists with a corpus fund of Rs 10 crores. Similarly, a welfare fund with a corpus fund of Rs 100 crores would be set up for the welfare of lawyers due to their active role in the Telangana movement.
Auto-rickshaws plying in Telangana will be exempted from tax. Accident insurance will also be extended to them as well as workers in the construction sector.
"The government will extend a special Telangana increment to all the government employees, along with health cards to them," the Governor said.
He also said that Telangana would have to make full use of the water resources and bring lakhs of acres of parched land under cultivation, covering 1 lakh acres in each and every Assembly constituency dependent on agriculture. Therefore, the government would focus on expeditious completion of all pending irrigation projects.
"The government will persuade the Central Government to accord national project status to the Pranahita-Chevella project," he said.
Narasimhan admitted that Telangana was facing a power shortage. Thermal power installed capacity was 2,283 MW and hydel power installed capacity was 2,157 MW. There are plans to set up a 4,000 MW power plant by NTPC as stipulated in the AP Reorganisation Act.
"The requisite land and water will be provided by the State government. In addition, through the private sector, we plan to generate 6,000 MW through GENCO," he said.
The Governor said that Telangana would formulate the best industrial policy, and a model system of single window clearance would be put in place.
A 'Special Chasing Cell' would be attached to the Chief Minister's office to give speedy clearances to upcoming projects, with zero corruption and no harassment to potential investors.
Narasimhan said that Hyderabad would be transformed into a world-class city with a distinct brand image. Besides improving the basic amenities, the city would be made slum-free through planned satelite townships.
Stating that the Law and Order would be given top priority, the Governor said that Hyderabad would be made a safe zone and an attractive investment destination.
"There will be constant surveillance with a network of CC cameras and other advanced gadgets covering the entire urban agglomeration on the lines of London and New York. Any offence detrimental to the interests of the State, will be dealt with an iron hand," he said.
The Governor also announced that a State Advisory Council would be constituted by involving intellectuals, media representatives, voluntary organisations, social activists, various professionals and others. (INN)