KCR Rips Congress Apart In Inaugural Campaign Speech

Siddipet: Telangana caretaker Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrashekar Rao launched a scathing attack at the Congress party at the Praja Ashirvada Sabha held at Husnabad here today. The public meeting marked the launch of TRS's election campaign, after the cabinet's decision to dissolve the Assembly and advance the elections. Originally, the Assembly elections were to be held along with the general elections in May 2019.

KCR began his inaugural election speech by reminding the large audience that the State once witnessed terrible times with shortage of electricity and repeated power cuts. The TRS Chief said that in 2014, when the government promised to provide 24 hours of electricity to the farmers of the State, the then Leader of Opposition in Telangana Assembly K Jana Reddy ridiculed it by saying that it was impossible to deliver.

"During an Assembly session, Jana Reddy said that he would campaign for the TRS if the government was able to deliver 24 hours of electricity. He should prove his sincerity by sticking to his word. The Congress leaders are unable to find the progress made by the State. They should go through the eye sight tests, which are being carried out under the government's 'Kanti Velugu' scheme," he remarked.

"Wasn't it the Congress party that ruled the State and at the Centre for the past 50 years? What development did India achieve in the past 50 years? Do we have irrigation facility across the country, despite possessing a water capacity of 70,000 TMC? Do we have proper roads? Do we have drinking water facility? Did we achieve social justice?" KCR questioned on the Congress rule.

Adding that China has around 2 lakh kms of Expressway, he observed that India possessed Expressways for a distance of just 1,900 kms. The average speed of a goods rail as per international standards is 86 kmph, whereas the speed of Indian goods rail is just 36 kmph, he added.

KCR said that India has excess water which could serve the country's needs for years to come, but, thousands of crores of agricultural lands lack irrigation facility. Singapore, which has a coastline of just 193 kms, handles 4 crore containers every year, while India with a coastline of 9,500 kms handles just 87 lakh containers per annum, the caretaker CM mentioned. He added that although India generates abundant electricity of 3,26,000 MW per annum, we do not utilize the energy for our needs.

"Why did we fight for Telangana formation for 14 long years? Did we not fight for getting rid of the suicides of farmers, students and handloom weavers? Was the Congress rule providing uninterrupted electricity?" he questioned the crowd.

He recalled that former Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy speaking in the Assembly against funds for Telangana region.

"In 50 years of Congress rule, did they ever try to improve healthcare? Did the thought of providing a pension of Rs 1,000 ever strike a Congress leader's mind? Successive Congress governments destroyed the rivers and ponds of Telangana," he said.

With Mission Bhagiratha, we have taken up the task of rejuvenating all the rivers in the State, KCR asserted. The growth trajectory of the State is cruising with a 21.96 per cent rate this financial year, he added.

"In the last four and a half years, we were successful in curbing drinking water problem, land grabbing, electricity cuts and many more," he addressed to the crowd.

Saying that sitting MLA Vodithela Satish Kumar was instrumental in seeking the formation of revenue division in Husnabad, he urged the locals to elect him once again.

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