TRS Party going far ahead with unique programmes

The TRS party that formed the government four years ago has come a long way in not only fulfilling the promises made to people before elections, but going far ahead with unique programmes as it celebrates its fourth anniversary on Saturday.Of concern, however, is some of the promises of the party on employment, three acres of land to Scheduled Castes and double bedroom housing for the poor which figured prominently in its election manifesto that have taken a back seat.

The most significant achievement of the TRS government has been the implementation of Rythu Bandhu scheme recently which was a stray idea that did not find any mention in the election manifesto, but has brought windfall gains to the farming community. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao described the programme a result of “out-of-the-box thinking” which was never attempted by the previous regimes.In tune with his oft quoted words “to reorient ourselves in the context of Telangana”, Mr. Rao devised several programmes that also did not find any place in the manifesto. No doubt the investment support to agriculture topped the list as a high budget programme, but there were also life insurance for farmers, 24-hour power supply, Mission Kakatiya, assistance to brides under Kalyana Laxmi and Shaadi Mubaarak, distribution of sheep, KCR Kits to lactating mothers, supply of fine rice to hostels and expansion of overseas scholarships to students that won considerable appreciation.

The Mission Kakatiya to desilt irrigation tanks with a view to increase their storage capacity was a hit in villages and so was Kalyana Laxmi and Shaadi Mubaarak where brides, in the beginning, got 50,000, but the amount was scaled up to 75,116 which is now 1,00,116. As part of sheep distribution scheme, units of sheep (20 female and one male) were given to shepherds.

On the irrigation front, the government promised creation of irrigation potential for one crore acres which is in the process of execution with work on Kaleswaram, Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, Dindi and other lift irrigation projects being under way. The government has also set up a finance corporation for most backward classes and supply of fish at 100% subsidy which were not mentioned in the manifesto. The TRS government denies that it has failed to implement the promise of free education from KG to PG as 500-odd residential schools for SCs, STs, BCs and minorities that it had started have taken care of the programme in a different way. It also denies backtracking on three acre land to SCs saying the programme could not make a headway due to non-availability of land.

As regards creation of employment by taking steps to repatriate 83,000 employees to Andhra Pradesh, the government maintained that there was neither delay nor lapse on its part as it took over one year to identify the vacancies and constitute the State Public Service Commission. The recruitment was taken up in all sincerity, it maintains.