Modi Has Forgotten Bifurcation Promises: Harish Rao

Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao today launched a rather caustic attack on the BJP-led Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "failing" to keep the promises made to the state during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking at a campaign meeting in Shamshabad ahead of the upcoming MLC elections in the graduates' constituencies of Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda, he also accused the Centre of "duping" the people of Telangana by refusing to extend developmental funds to the state.

"While the KCR government has managed to provide irrigation to one crore acres of farmland in Telangana with the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, the Modi regime has refused to sanction other similar projects and has not given us funds to develop the state further. Does this not amount to duping the people of our state? Even without its support, we have been able to create a system of comprehensive welfare in our state," Rao asserted.

Continuing his tirade against the BJP government in the Centre, he reiterated that it had "deliberately ignored" the TRS government's pleas for developmental support. He then slammed it for shelving the Information Technology Investment Region project and claimed the project had been suspended as it was one that had been sanctioned by the preceding UPA-led Congress regime.

The minister also expressed his displeasure at the Centre for not working towards establishing the Kazipet railway coach factory and the Bayyaram steel plant, which had both been promised to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (2014), and said that this had stymied employment generation. He criticised the saffron party's leaders in the state for their "deceptive" comments on the issue as well.

"When the BJP-led Centre itself has not bothered to sanction projects that could have created millions of jobs in the state, why are the party's leaders pointing fingers at our government for the same? We have offered government jobs to 1.33 lakh people in the last six years, and will soon fill up another 50,000 posts. What has the BJP done for our state? It has not even sanctioned the projects promised to us in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act even though IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao has already submitted the relevant detailed project reports. The BJP should stop using false claims as its crutch," he said.

"The BJP has always concocted allegations against us for lying to the people when in reality it is the one that has not fulfilled its promises. What is stopping the Modi regime from creating 12 crore jobs annually? Why is it not bringing back Indian black money from foreign shores and distributing it among the citizens? It has only been busy increasing fuel and gas charges to burden the common man. And, it has been privatising PSUs and robbing the people of stable avenues of employment just to bolster the corporates. Its decision to privatise the Vizag Steel Plant is the latest among such illogical decisions. The move will render lakhs jobless. When it itself is responsible for all this, the party should first get its own house in order before finding fault with us," the leader added.

At the meeting, Reddy also appealed to the "educated people of the state" to support the TRS candidate for the Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy seat, Surabhi Vani Devi, in the elections, saying that like the other leaders of the TRS she too would devote herself to the development of the constituency if she was elected.

To make his case, he highlighted the various welfare schemes started by the TRS regime.

"We have implemented many schemes for the welfare of our people. For instance, we have ensured that the rural pockets of the state have access to 24-hour power and water supply, and have started the Rythu Vedikas to strengthen the state's agrarian community. As a result of our efforts, Telangana is known across the nation for its welfare schemes. This is because development is the TRS' top priority. Supporting us will mean supporting continued development. The people should not vote for the BJP in the MLC elections because unlike us it only brings in anti-people policies. We believe that the graduates and educated youth will surely see this and make the right choice. We would urge you to support our candidate, Vani Devi. She is an educationist and has worked for society by helming several educational institutions. If given the chance, she will serve the people well," the minister said.

The firebrand TRS leader has been put in charge of the pink party's campaigns for the MLC elections in the Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy constituency, and has been campaigning aggressively to woo voters on behalf of political newbie Surabhi Vani Devi.