Telangana Reforms Unique In The Country: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan

said the Telangana State government was implementing a plethora of people-oriented schemes and programmes and has carved a niche for itself in the history of the country.  The Governor hoisted the national flag during the 72nd Republic Day celebrations held at Public Gardens here.
 

She said that Telangana, stood first and unique in the country in several sectors due to the planned and systematic efforts, during the past six and half years and has been providing inspiration to other states to emulate Telangana.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan Full Speech:

COVID-Vaccination

With the combined and well-coordinated efforts of the Government of India and the State Government, the spread of VOVID-19 virus was effectively contained. By strict implementation of the lockdown, and by offering the best medical treatment to the affected, the mortality rate in the state has been brought down to the lowest possible.

A record number of above 76 lakh tests were conducted across the state by setting up the centers even at the mandal level. In the state 2 lakh tests were conducted for every 10 lakh population, as against national average of 1.39 lakh tests. Case fatality rate in the state is 0.54 percent as against national rate of 1.4 percent. The recovery rate in the state is 98.24 percent as against national rate of 96.8 percent.  The state government distributed 12 kgs.of rice and extended a financial help of ₹1,500 per month to each poor family who lost their livelihoods during the lockdown. Free meals were served through Annapurna canteens. Special trains were arranged for the migrant workers to travel to their native places.

Palle Pragathi

Translating separate statehood movement leaders’ vision into reality, the living standards of the people in Telangana state have tremendously improved due to the creation of basic infrastructure facilities in all villages. The PallePragathi program transformed the villages in the state as role models in the country.

Now 12,765 gram panchayats have been provided tractors with tankers and trolleys as against 84 gram panchayats that had their own tractors at the time of formation of the state. Now, the villages in the state wore a festive look with clean and green surroundings.

As a part of greenery initiatives, a record 91 percent of the saplings planted have survived in rural areas. Each village in the state has one plant nursery. The state will have 19,470 village PrakrutiVanalu. Land is identified at 19,027 places and saplings were planted at 15,646 places.

People voluntarily cleared all the unwanted vegetation, closed the unused open wells, bore wells, and sewerage ponds through Shramadaan in Palle Pragathi. Construction of dump yards is going on at 12,736 places and 91 percent of the works are completed. At 9,023 dumping yards, compost facilities are being created.

In order to avoid difficulty of performing the last rites of loved ones, the state government decided to construct one Vaikunta Dhamam at every village.

The state government took special interest for constructing one Rythu Vedika at every cluster to facilitate the farmers to sit and deliberate farm related issues. The construction of 2,580 Rythu Vedikas out of the targeted 2,601 has been completed.

The state government has also decided to create ‘Drying Platforms’ at 93,875 places in the state in the first phase, which will help the farmers to dry and thresh their produce. Earlier gram panchayats were unable to pay their electricity bills on time resulting in stoppage of power supply to the villages. With the initiatives taken up by the state government, now gram panchayats are able to pay their electricity bills in time. The state government is releasing ₹308 crore every month to the gram panchayats, despite financial crunch, due to COVID pandemic. This is enabling the gram panchayats to continue their developmental works.

Owing to cleanliness, there is a drastic decline in incidence of denguethis year.The central government conferred Swachh Survekshan award on the state as all the villages have been declared open defecation-free. I appreciate all those who made it possible. I congratulate Panchayat Raj department officials, sarpanches, wardmembers, panchayat secretaries and all those who took part in this endeavour.

Pattana Pragathi

Rapid urbanization is taking place in the state after its formation. The urban areas are being transformed into pollution-free better living places. The state government is releasing ₹148 crore every year to urban areas apartfrom release of additional funds to the GHMC and other municipal corporations.

There are 2,802 sanitation vehicles in the urban areas in the state. 2,004 more are being arranged now. With this, 4,806 sanitation vehicles would be made available. Dump yards are being constructed in all the urban areas. 1,018 plant nurseries in urban areas and 500 under GHMC are already set up. The state government wants to arrange VaikuntaDhamams in all the urban areas at the rate of one VaikuntaDhamam for every one lakh population. In 116 urban areas, veg and non-veg integrated markets are being established.

The state government enacted the Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self Certification System (TS-bPASS) Act, 2020 to ease the permission procedure for building construction in urban areas. Now the applicants through self-declaration in a highly transparent, time-bound and corruption-free manner are obtaining permissions. In all urban areas, government is supplying drinking water at free of cost up to 20,000 liters per every household per month. This has enabled about 97 percent of the urban population to access free drinking water facility.

Administrative Reforms

The state government has brought in several administrative reforms aiming at heralding transparent, accountable, and corruption-free good governance. New Panchayat Raj, Revenue and Municipalities Acts were brought in. Number of districts was increased from 10 to 33, revenue divisions from 43 to 74, mandals from 459 to 593, municipal corporations from 6 to 13, gram panchayats from 8,690 to 12,765. With this the administrative units are brought to the reach of common man, thus avoiding travelling long distances and paving the way for effective implementation of the government schemes.

Dharani Portal

I am happy to announce that the revolutionary reforms brought in by the state government to give more authenticity on the land ownership, to have more clarity in the land transactions are yielding good results. The Dharani Portal brought in to maintain the land records is highly successful. The farmers are able to sell and buy the agriculture lands within minutes in a hassle-free manner.

Agriculture

The state government is taking plan-based measures to bailout agriculture sector from the crisis faced before formation of the state. The agriculture policies and programs launched by the state government have earned international acclaim. The state government has undertaken construction of major irrigation projects to overcome the lack of irrigational facilities faced by farmers for decades together. Irrigation facilities have been tremendously improved, thanks to Kaleshwaram project, the largest multistage lift irrigation project in the world.

The works of Palamuru-Rangareddy, Sitarama, Devadula projects are being taken up at faster pace. Works on the pending projects in the combined Mahabubnagar, Warangal, Adilabad, Nalgonda, Khammam and other districts are completed and water is supplied to 16 lakh acres. Through Mission Kakatiya program, all the tanks in the state are revived. As a result, there is 4-meter increase in the ground water level. Since farmers are given 24-hour free uninterrupted power supply, lands under 24 lakh pump sets are being cultivated and the yield is bountiful.

Owing to all these, now paddy is cultivated in 1.04 crore acres as against 35 lakh acres at the time of formation of the state. With the vast increase in the area of cultivation, Telangana state has become Annapurna, Rice Bowl of the country. The state government purchased agriculture produce by setting up of procurement centres at the village level thus saving the farmers from incurring losses due the closure of markets during the lockdown.During the last rabi season, the Food Corporation of India had procured 1.15 crore tons of paddy all over the country and out of this Telangana state alone accounted for a massive 64 lakh tons which is 55 percent of the total procurement of the FCI.

Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima

The Rythu Bandhu scheme which is the first of its kind in the country was introduced to help the farmers as investment support for agriculture. It is being continued in spite of COVID resulted financial problems. For the Rabi season, the state government has extended ₹7,351 crore assistance under the scheme to cover 60 lakh farmers owning 1.47 crore acres.

Under Rythu Bima scheme, in the event of the death of farmer due to any cause including natural death, the insured amount of ₹5,00,000/- will be deposited into the designated nominee bank account within ten days. The state government with a humanitarian approach is bearing the entire premium to provide life security to the families of the deceased farmers.

Since the government has acted sternly against the supplies of spurious seeds/fertilizers/pesticides, the farmers are now getting adequate quantities of quality seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in time. The state government is extending subsidy to the farmers on tractors, other agricultural equipment and tools. Cultivation under micro irrigation is on increase with the government subsidies ranging from 80 to 100 percent.

Power Sector

Proving the prophets of doom that Telangana will plunge into darkness, if it becomes a separate state wrong and bursting the myth, the state is shining with rapid strides in power sector. The unparalleled achievements that the state registered in the power sector brought qualitative change in the lives of the people, proving administrative capabilities of the government.

From the stage of hours together power cuts and power holidays, state has reached a stage of 24-hour quality and uninterrupted power supply to all sectors.

Before formation of the state, the installed capacity was 7,888 megawatt and it is now increased to 16,245 megawatt. The state stood first in the country in per capita power consumption, which is one of the important indicators for development index. The state is the first in per capita growth rate too. The average per capita power consumption at the formation of the state was 1,356 kilowatt hour and now it is 2,071 kilowatt hour, while national per capita power consumption is 1,208 kilowatt hour. It indicates that the Telangana state per capita power consumption is 58 percent more than that of national average.

I am happy to announce that the state has reduced its losses in transmission and supply of power by 2.41 percent and stood first in the country. The state also stood first in increasing the green energy. The solar energy generation capacity was only 74 megawatt at the time of formation of the state and it is 3,741 megawatt now. The works on Bhadradri, Yadadri power plants are going on a fast track to make the state a power surplus one. Council of Energy and Environment and Water declared that Telangana state is the number one in the country in electricity access and electrification. This is the appreciation that the state got at the international level.

Mission Bhagiratha

The Mission Bhagiratha program which attracted attention of the entire country, has once for all solved the drinking water problem in the state. For 23,968 habitations in the state, safe and pure drinking water is supplied daily. The Central Jal Jeevan Mission has declared that the Telangana state registered a major achievement by supplying drinking water through pipes to 98.46 percent of houses in the state. This is another feather in our cap.

Public Health

The state government gave top priority to improve the conditions of government hospitals right from the primary health centers to the super specialty hospitals. Funds are allocated and utilized treating ‘hospital’ as the unit.

The KCR kit program not only extended financial assistance to the pregnant women, but also reduced the maternal mortality rate from 90 to 76 and infant mortality rate from 35 to 29. The number of patients approaching government hospitals has increased by 30 percent, as there is improved faith and confidence.

225 BasthiDavakhanas in Hyderabad city are offering better medical services to the poor. In these BasthiDavakhanas, OP facility, Tele-Consultation, Basic Lab Tests, free dispensation of medicines, immunization and other medical facilities are being provided. Dialysis centers, diagnostic centers and ICUs in the government hospitals are increased significantly. Oxygen facility is provided to 10,000 beds in the state. The NITIAayog declared that the Telangana state consecutively stood third in the country for the third time, in providing better medical facilities in government hospitals. This proves the achievements of the state in the health sector.

Education

Lockdown is only for educational institutions, and not for education. The examination system and academic year are planned in such a way that the students from the state become eligible to take any competitive examinations at state and national level. On par with private and corporate educational institutions, the students from the government educational institutions were offered online classes through Door Darshan,and other similar facilities. To start physical classrooms for the students from 9^thstandard upwards from February 1^st, all the educational institutions, residential institutions, hostels are cleaned up and kept ready.

Telangana Ku Haritha Haram

The state government has launched Telangana Ku Haritha Haram program. It created awareness among people on the need to plant saplings and grow trees. Gram panchayats and municipalities were given the responsibility to protect trees. The aim of the Haritha Haram is to plant 230 crore saplings and of this 210.68 crore were planted so far. All over the state, 13,768 plant nurseries were set up which are supplying the saplings. The government is ready to supply 6 fruit bearing saplings to every household through the gram panchayats.

The government is according top priority to revive the forests through the slogan Jungle Bachao-Jungle Badavo.Plants are grown in 43,276 hectares of the forestland. PD Act is invoked to stop the timber smuggling and stern action is being taken against the culprits. The Forest Survey of India recorded that there is a 3.67 percent increase in green cover in the state. This is a proof that our efforts are bearing fruits.

Industrial Growth

The TS-iPASS policy received appreciations from all over the country and accelerated industrial growth in the state. Since inception of this policy, 14,338 new industries came to the state and provided 14,59,639 jobs.

Information Technology

Owing to the IT policy brought in by the state government, world famous IT companies have opened their offices in the state. IT companies are of the view that the Telangana state is the right destination for operating their businesses as well as for the safety of their Data. Amazon Web Services Company came forward to set up its Data Center Region with an investment of ₹20,761 crore in Hyderabad. Multinational companies like Microsoft, Google, IBM, Oracle and others have opened their office campuses in Hyderabad. The government has started IT Hubs not only in Hyderabad but also at two-tier cities like Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam. The IT exports at the time of formation of the state were ₹66,276 crore per year and in the last financial year it went up to₹1,28,807crore. 5,82,126persons got jobs in IT sector.

Development in Hyderabad

The works are on a rapid pace to transform Hyderabad from the metropolitan city into an international metropolis. The lockdown period was put to best useto complete the road works, and bridges construction in the city. About 250 kilometers length of BT roads were laid. The works undertaken under the Strategic Road Development Program (SRDP) are progressing at a faster pace.

26 main roads were widened under the SRDP phase-I and multi-level fly-overs and main junctions are developed to ensure smooth flow of signal-free traffic. As part of this, works on 7 skyways, 11 major corridors, 68 major roads, 54 grade separators are being taken up.

It is a matter of pride that Bharath Swachh Mission has declared Charminar Pedestrian Project as a Special Swachh Iconic construction. The cable bridge constructed at Durgamcheruvu not only eased the traffic congestion but also became a major tourist spot in the city.

In line with the Chief Minister’s noble aim to make poor people live with dignity, construction of one lakh double-bed room houses at 111 sites have been taken-upfor the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation residents. And at some locations houses were also distributed to the beneficiaries.

Law and Order

Maintenance of law and order is on the top of the agenda. The state government is acting with an iron hand against anti-social elements, anarchist persons and those harassing women. The state government with increased funding strengthened the police department by providing required manpower, vehicles, equipment, infrastructure, and state-of-the-art technology.

It is important to note that 65 percent of the CC cameras installed in the country are in Telangana state. The Police Command Control Centre set up with the state-of-the-art technology, which is the first of its kind in the country, will be opened soon in Hyderabad. The entire police department has been revamped for effective maintenance of law-and-orderand for better coordination among the police stations.

Employees’ Welfare

Since the formation of Telangana state, the government gave top priority to the welfare of all sections of the government employees. In the initial period of state formation, 42 percent fitment was given to the government employees. Salaries of the employees who are working with meagre wages, such as outsourcing, contract, and others have been increased. The state government has decided to increase the salaries to benefit every employee and pensioner.

The state government has also decided to enhance the age of superannuation. The process to increase the salaries and age of retirement is in progress. The process to fill up vacancies on compassionate grounds is also going on. The process of giving promotions is on fast pace.Once the promotions are given, the resultant vacancies will be filled up immediately.

The state government with full dedication, determination and commitment has successfully been able to reconstruct and rebuild the state. Though a newly born state, Telangana has achieved great success in several sectors and has been attracting the attention of the entire country and became a role model that is‘Telangana Model’. Strong foundations are being laid for a Bangaru Telangana, where there is no hunger, no suicides, and where there is bountiful of peace and happiness, wealth and prosperity.