TRS promises huge sops to all sections

Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Friday released party’s election manifesto, promising huge sops to every section of society. The manifesto envisages two-bedroom houses for weaker sections, Rs 50,000 crore for Dalit welfare and Rs 25,000 crore for backward classes are among the slew of promises made by TRS in its election manifesto released here on Friday. This, party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, said was necessary as the Congress and the TDP governments had failed miserably in this aspect. About Rs 25,000 crore will be spent on welfare of backward classes in five years.

Rao, who has ruled out truck with any party, said his party, if voted to power, would work for the welfare of poor and marginalised sections. The "reconstruction" of Telangana, post its formation on June 2, would be possible only with TRS in power, he said. The TRS government, he said, would take steps to fill power deficit and in two-and-a-half-years time; it will set up 10 new thermal power plants with a capacity to generate 13,000 MW. These power plants will be set up by GENCO and thus create one lakh new job opportunities. He also promised a pension of Rs 1,500 for physically handicapped and Rs 1,000 pension for widows, regularisation of contract workers, 12% reservation for scheduled tribes.

KCR said the new government would be people-friendly and would ensure that there was no interference of political leaders in most of the issues including transfers of employees and clearances for industries for attracting industrialists. Taking a cue from Gujarat, he said that his government would not give powers to the ministers to clear the projects – it will be the job of officials to see that there would be single window clearance and it would the officials who would ensure that the entire process of giving permissions was over within fixed time frame.

Among other issues, free education from KG to PG , waiver of farmer loans up to Rs 1 lakh, 3 acres of land for poor dalits, budgetary allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of Muslims figure in the manifesto. KCR promised 12 per cent reservation for Muslims as against the existing 4 per cent besides granting second official language status for Urdu. The Sachar committee report for welfare and development of minorities would be implemented in letter and spirit. All the encroached Wakf properties would be taken back by the Telangana government. The Wakf Board would be given judicial status for expediting such cases.

He said new technologies would be adopted to boost agricultural growth and turn farmers into millionaires. He said that government would promote green house cultivation in a big way offering 75 per cent subsidies to interested farmers. The TRS also promised three acres of land each to landless Dalit farmers along with one year of financial support for irrigation. Rao announced that kin of each Telangana martyr family would be given Rs 10 lakh each besides a government job to one or two eligible members of the family. They would also get agriculture land and free healthcare.

The TRS also revealed its plans to create 14 new districts. Pointing out that Telangana offers congenial atmosphere for seed growth owing to different varieties of soils, he promised to turn the state into a "seed bowl" of India. He promised a special increment to the Telangana employees and salaries on a par with the central government staff. TRS chief stated that strict guidelines not to transfer employees unless they complete three years of service at a particular location would be followed in the new state. The TRS manifesto also promises creation of 14 new districts and setting up of NIMS like hospital in each of the 24 districts. He also unveiled his plans to make Hyderabad as one of the best cities in the world.