Despite tight squeeze, State treads Golden Telangana path

Hyderabad: The economic sanctions imposed by the Union Government did not deter the Telangana government from pursuing the "Golden Telangana" agenda. Despite facing financial constraints, the TRS government was implementing the welfare scheme in true spirit and also registered an impressive growth in Medical and Health, Agriculture, Industry, Manufacturing and Services sectors in 2022- 2023 financial year. Jumbo recruitment of nearly 1 lakh posts in the State government departments was a major task taken up by the TRS government this year. The government also endeavoured to setup up medical colleges in 32 districts.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has found alternative resources to continue the welfare and development programmes after the Union Government reducing Telangana's borrowing limit by at least Rs 20,000 crore in the guise of not implementing the sector wise reforms to avail additional funds and grants from various financial institutions.

The reduce of age limit to 57 years from 65 years to avail Aasara pension benefit was one among the important decisions taken by the State government in the current financial year. On welfare front, the government's spending increased by at least 20 per cent as against 2021-2022 financial year. Sheep distribution, Dalit Bandhu, Rythu Bandhu, Kalyana Lakshmi, 24-hour free power to agriculture, construction of multi-speciality hospitals in Hyderabad and Warangal and the improvement of Health care Infrastructure remained a top of agenda of KCR government.

Rs 10,000 crore were alone being spent in the construction of state owned multi-speciality hospitals, upgradation of hospitals and recruitment of staff from paramedical staff to doctors and professors and the setup of new medical colleges..

The big recruitment process taken up by the government has come as a big relief to the unemployed youth waiting to crack the government jobs. Notifications for Group-1 and Group -4 posts, Police recruitment and filling up of vacancies in TSGENCO and TSTRANSCO, Irrigation, Roads and Buildings, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development were already under progress.

After the formation of Telangana State in 2014, the government paid special attention on job recruitment by issuing big number of notifications this year. Pouring investments in Telangana was steady in Telangana state this year also. The TS iPASS and new IT policy were attracting investors worldwide to set up their firms in Hyderabad. Karnataka-based Elest, set up by Rajesh Exports, a Fortune 500 company, alone came up with plans to invest Rs 24,000 crore this year by establishing Generation 6 Amoled display fabrication unit. The proposed unit will manufacture next generation displays for smartphones, tablet computers and laptops. The city of Hyderabad has also emerged as the destination for the investments in aerospace. Rocket manufacturing in private sector was the most happening manufacturing activity in Telangana state this year.

The big challenge before the government is to mobilize funds to fulfil the promises and achieve the desirable results in implementing Dalit Bandhu and the proposed Rs 3 lakh financial support to plot owners for house construction and clear all pending applications to distribute pensions to all deserved. It required at least Rs 10,000 additional funds to reach the welfare and development benefits at the doorsteps of the needy by the end of this financial year.