BRS Left Telangana Under Rs 8.21 lakh Crore Debt Burden, credit: X
Hyderabad: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday alleged that the previous BRS government had pushed the state into a severe financial crisis by raising Loans of Rs 8.21 lakh crore, while asserting that the Congress government was implementing welfare schemes despite the heavy debt burden.
The deputy chief minister claimed that the Congress government had paid Rs 2.08 lakh crore towards principal and Interest on loans in the last two-and -half years. He alleged that the previous government had "looted the state" without benefitting the people, leaving Telangana financially weak.
Vikramarka said the Congress government had continued welfare schemes such as Mhadi Mubarak and Kalyana Lakshmi, besides ensuring timely payment of salaries, free electricity for farmers and free bus travel for women, for which about Rs 12,000 crore had been provided to the RTC.
He also highlighted the construction of 4.5 lakh Indiramma houses worth Rs 22,500 crore, establishment of 100 integrated residential schools, introduction of breakfast in government schools and the proposed launch of the Indira Insurance scheme providing Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to families from November.
Criticising the BRS, Bhatti questioned which welfare schemes the party would discontinue if it returned to power, including free power, free bus travel, interest-free loans to women and the proposed insurance scheme.
On Irrigation, he reiterated the Congress government's commitment to completing the Palamuru - Rangareddy Lift Irrigation scheme and announced that pending land acquisition for works from Narlapur to Uddandapur would be expedited. He assured the farmers that the government would ensure fair compensation for land acquisition without causing injustice to any landowner.
