First year of TRS Govt's second term was totally disappointing: Sravan

Hyderabad: All India Congress Committee (AICC) National Spokesperson Dr. Dasoju Sravan described the first year of TRS Government's second term in power as totally disappointing for the people of Telangana.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, Sravan said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's first year in the second term was no different from the first term and in fact, it was more disappointing in term of performance. "Just like the first term in office, the first year of KCR's second term was full of lies, deception and cheating for common people," he said.

"Having ruined the State's economy for the last six years by is-utilising the public funds, KCR is now giving sermons on maintaining fiscal discipline. Congress party, since 2014, has been pointing out misuse and wrong utilisation of funds. However, KCR wasted huge amounts to live a lavish lifestyle and resorted to insane expenditure on non-productive purposes. He had spent money from public exchequer as if it was from his personal purse," Sravan said adding that when Congress party created Telangana in 2014 it was a rich and revenue surplus State. However, KCR has turned into a bankrupt and debt-ridden State. He said TRS Government has pushed Telangana into a debt trap of nearly Rs. 3 lakh crore. Besides borrowing huge loans on high-interest rates, the State Government also gave guarantees to various corporations. This was done only to benefit the contractors of Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, Kaleshwaram and other projects only to get the commission. Despite indiscriminate spending in the name of Mission Bhagiratha and Kaleshwaram project, the entire investment proved non-productive with zero results, he said.

Sravan asked as to why KCR did not think of financial discipline when he wasted money on construction of Pragathi Bhavan or when buying super luxury cars and bus for his convoy. He said public money was not invested wisely and it brought zero results.

The Congress leader said it was highly regrettable that the only sector which registered growth in revenues was excised. He said that the State was earning nearly Rs. 20,000 crore from the sale of liquor which is ruining the health and personal lives of people of Telangana. He said that the government did not focus on any sector during the last six years.

Referring to the promises made by TRS in its election manifesto for 2018 elections, Sravan said none of the promises made with the people was fulfilled. He said no efforts were made either to fill the vacancies or to create new employment opportunities. He said that the government did not conduct the Group-I and Group-II exams even once. The much-hyped Rythu Bandhu scheme was not implemented properly and nearly 50% of farmers are yet to get their dues. The promised crop loan waiver up to Rs. 1 lakh remained unimplemented. He said TRS Govt failed to establish corporations for various communities as it promised in the manifesto and existing corporations were deprived of funds.

The Congress leader condemned delay in implementation of new PRC which was promised in the manifesto. Further, he said the retirement age of the government employees was not enhanced from the present 58 to 61 years. He said that the TRS Govt failed to pressurise the Centre to implement the promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act like the establishment of a steel factory in Bayyaram which was also mentioned in the manifesto. Promised pattas to those who have constructed houses in Singareni Plots were not given. He pointed out that hospitals were neither admitting the Aarogyasri patients nor they are honouring the Health Cards issued to employees as the State Government did not clear their dues. Non-clearance of Fee Reimbursement dues has ruined the academic career of lakhs of students.

Sravan alleged that Telangana has emerged on top in rapes and crimes against women. Referring to the statement made by Minister Talsani Srinivas Yadav after the encounter of four accused in Disha case stating that a strong message has been given CM KCR, he asked why TRS Govt failed to act in other cases of rape and brutal murders of women. He said none of the contract employees was regularised during the last six years of TRS Government. "Right from the Chief Minister to all TRS MPs, MLAs, Sarpanches and other elected representatives, corruption got embedded in entire administration up to the rank of a clerk and attender. TRS has turned Telangana into a 'corrupt State'," he alleged.

The AICC Spokesperson said that TRS came to power in 2014 on the promise of free KG to PG education. But it kept on reducing the budget for the education sector. However, he said Telangana's spending on education fell down every year. It touched a five-year low of 6.75% of the Budget this year. He said the spending on education compared to overall budget was 10.88% in 2014-15; 9.69% in 2015-16; 8.23% in 2016-17; 8.49% in 2017-18; 7.61% in 2018-19 and it fell to just 6.75% in 2019-20. Despite the decrease, he said TRS leaders were making misleading statements. "On July 25, 2019, Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy claimed in Nizamabad that Telangana Govt was spending Rs 16,000 crore on education and improving the standards of the system. On September 19, 2019, Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy claimed in Assembly that the government was spending Rs. 18,600 crore on education. But in reality, the education sector was allocated Rs 9,899.80 crore out of the total budget of Rs 1,46,492 crore," he said.

"The state's literacy rate, according to the 2011 census, is 66.46%, much lower than the national average of 74%. According to RBI's State Finance: A Study of Budgets, Telangana is at the bottom among all 31 States and Union Territories since 2014-15 (except for 2016-17 when it ranked 30th)," he said.

Similarly, Sravan said Telangana was on the bottom in the list of 31 States and Union Territories in spending on public health. It ranked 28th in 2014-15 (4.10%); 30th in 2015-16 (3.90%); 28th in 2016-17 (4.10%); 29th in 2017-18 (4.20%); 28th in 2018-19 (4.20%) and its rank was 30th in 2019-20 with a spending of mere 3.50% of total budget on public health.

Sravan described KCR as the most insensitive and inhuman CM. "KCR did not respond to suicide by farmers and never held a meeting to review the situation. He did not act on suicides committed by intermediate students due to evaluation scam. He did not even hold a review meeting when over 100 people died of Dengue and other diseases. He behaved in an inhuman manner over RTC strike and maintained adamant attitude before High Court and even made officials lie before the court. He did not respond to death and suicide of over 30 employees. By stopping salaries and dragging the issue in court without offering a solution, he tortured workers to the extent that they withdrew the strike unconditionally. Later, he enacted the drama of having lunch with RTC workers," he said.

The Congress leader said Telangana was apparently the only State in the country where the Chief Minister does not visit Secretariat.