Welfare schemeslobbed Telangana to top slot: Governor

​Hyderabad: Telangana state’s robust growth and the state government’s welfare and developmental measures catapulted the newly-born state to the top position on all fronts and has made it stand as a role model for other states in the country, Governor ESL Narasimhan said.

In his address to a joint sitting of the state Legislative Assembly and Council here on Saturday, the Governor said that the state’s growth has registered at 17.17 per cent between 2014 and 2018. In the current financial year, the growth rate touched 29.93 per cent which is a matter of pride for the state under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

“My Government also registered a great success in robust administrative policies, strict financial discipline and corruption-free governance. This has resulted in substantive growth in state tax and non-tax revenues. Telangana has achieved one of the highest growth rates in the country,” he said.

The People of Telangana have achieved a separate state for themselves after six decades of relentless struggle. The first-ever government was formed in June 2014 under the leadership of K Chandrashekhar Rao who spearheaded the separate Telangana movement, recalled Governor.

Narasimhan spoke extensively on the initiatives taken by the TRS government from 2014, including launching a series of administrative reforms, developmental works mainly irrigation, drinking and power projects and the launching of welfare programmes for the people that have propelled Telangana as a leader that other States are emulating.

“The welfare schemes implemented by my Government have created a sense of self-confidence and feeling of a secure life. With the benedictions of people who were benefited by the welfare measures, the TRS party government returned to power for a second term, with a much higher majority in this house,” Narasimhan said. The Telangana development model has been a role model for other states which have also emulated the same.

According top priority for welfare of the poor, tackling the severe crisis in the power sector, and taking up of construction of irrigation projects to provide irrigation water for a proposed one crore acres gave a big fillip to the newly-born Telangana state to achieve the desirable results in a short time, he said.
Narasimhan also spoke about the Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima schemes.

“Several steps were initiated by my government to restore confidence in the desperate farmer through revitalising the agriculture sector which was labelled as a waste during the erstwhile rule,” he said. In addition, the government strengthened the hereditary professions that had become extinct. Several programmes were initiated to provide employment opportunities to youth through expansion of industrial and IT sectors.

“This was reflected clearly in the electorate again reposing confidence overwhelmingly and returning the existing government to power with an emphatic majority in the recently-concluded elections. The government has been brought back to power with three-fourths majority. Accepting this landslide victory with all humility and modesty, my government proposes to initiate steps to implement the electoral promises,” the Governor said. He also said the report of the committee appointed for drafting schemes for the integrated development of SCs and STs will be implemented. The government will continue to press and fight for implementation of 33 per cent reservation to BCs and 33 per cent reservation to women in legislatures.

The Telangana State Assembly has already passed resolution for provision of 10 per cent reservation to STs and 12 per cent reservation to Minorities. For implementing these reservations, the government will continue to mount pressures on the central government. The SC categorisation resolution of the Assembly was forwarded to the Centre.