Bhatti Wants Urban Voters To Back Congress For Faster Growth

Nalgonda: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday appealed to urban voters to ensure a decisive victory for Congress candidates in the elections to 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations, stating that this would accelerate development programmes and ensure welfare benefits reached all sections.

Addressing a media conference after campaigning in Madhira of Khammam, he said the state government was prioritising infrastructure development in urban areas. He said large-scale sewage treatment plants had been sanctioned across the state and that works were underway in healthcare, education and electricity sectors in towns and cities in line with global standards.

Referring to the previous BRS government’s tenure, Bhatti said government employees used to receive salaries only after the 15th of every month. After the Congress came to power, salaries were being credited on the first day of every month without delay, he said, adding that the government was committed to resolving employees’ issues and had proposed a ₹1 crore accident insurance scheme for their welfare. He urged employees to support the Congress to ensure the continuation of these measures.

He said the Vision 2047 document was recently released at a global summit with the objective of transforming Telangana into a three-trillion-dollar economy, and claimed the state was now in a position to compete with developed countries. He alleged that the earlier government had neglected towns, local bodies, women and government employees during its 10-year rule.

Bhatti cautioned that if the BRS returned to power, welfare schemes would be rolled back, alleging that fine rice would be replaced with coarse rice, free bus travel for women would be withdrawn, and salaries would again be credited after the 15th of the month.

He said policies of the previous government had caused hardship in towns and claimed that law and order had deteriorated during that period. After the Congress assumed office, officials were instructed to be accountable to the public and ensure development in a peaceful environment, resulting in an improved situation, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the Cabinet under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was focused on strengthening infrastructure and amenities in all towns and cities. He said eligible poor and weaker section families had been issued ration cards and fine-quality rice was being distributed.

“With an idea that savings help meet family needs, the government is providing free electricity to domestic connections up to 200 units. The state government pays the required dues every month to the power utilities on behalf of the beneficiaries,” he said.

Stating that women’s empowerment through financial self-reliance was a key objective, Bhatti said interest-free loans worth ₹27,000 crore had already been distributed to women self-help groups. He said the government was ready to extend further interest-free loans irrespective of the number of groups formed.

He outlined initiatives including solar power generation, petrol pump management, promotion of cottage industries and facilitation of bank loans to improve women’s economic empowerment.

Referring to Madhira, he said development programmes were being planned keeping in view the requirements of the next 50 years and asserted that politics would not influence municipal development. He said the Wyra river was being developed as a tourism project with facilities such as a walking track, children’s park and food court, and that modern cremation grounds, underground drainage and underground electricity cabling were planned for the town.