Congress govt clears Rs 114 Cr pending bills of SC, ST, BC educational institutions: DyCM Bhatti

Khammam: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said the Congress government has been clearing the pending bills left by the previous government under welfare programmes.

The state government has released Rs 114 core to clear pending bills of SC, ST, BC, and minority educational institutions. About 50 percent of pending bills were being sanctioned every month on a saturation basis, he added.

Addressing a media conference at Khammam on Tuesday, he said even small bills like cosmetic charges for students of welfare institutions were not released by the previous government for years together. “We started clearing pending bills below Rs 10 lakh every month,” he said.

Bhatti said that a system is being set up to pay salaries regularly every month to outsourcing staff under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme, sweepers in Gram Panchayats, and wages for workers under Mid-day meal agencies.

All measures are being taken to pay salaries to poor and lower-level personnel along with regular staff before the Dussehra festival.

Deputy CM stated that the government is ready to sanction as many transformers and electric poles as required. They will be sanctioned within a month of submission of the application.

For any problem related to the electricity department, one may complain to phone number 1912, he said.

Updation of revenue records a scam

“The previous BRS rulers in the name of updation of revenue records had transferred lands to their benamis and Congress government want to restore encroached lakes to public,” he asserted.

In the previous government, KCR used to make unilateral decisions and never used to give opportunity to others to speak in the Cabinet. That was why TRS leader Jagdish Reddy was questioning if the Musi Clean Up and Restoration issue was discussed in the Cabinet.

Taking a dig at the former BRS Minister, Bhatti said those who look at others with jaundiced eyes and those who lie every day would assume others were also like them.

Congress government’s Cabinet is democratic and every member would speak on every issue.

What’s the problem if the poor are given houses in a clean environment?

Bhatti said that other countries were generating income by converting their rivers and lakes into assets. Hyderabad has the Musi River as nature’s gift and it will be rejuvenated. The area around the river will be developed with parks and greenery and new houses will be constructed for those displaced in the same area.

What is the problem for opposition leaders if Musi residents are provided with housing in a clean environment, he asked.

The BRS leaders want to live in palatial buildings but should the poor in the Musi area live amidst filth, he questioned. “We are not inaccessible like previous rulers who lived in ‘Gadis’ and closed their doors to people,” he pointed out.

Referring to remarks of R S Praveen Kumar, Bhatti said everyone was aware when residential schools and junior colleges were set up. The models of Integrated Residential schools were kept in the public domain and those who did not want such quality educational schools should come out and say so openly, he said.

Bhatti said once in four years mining expo was held in the US. The latest machinery and technology used in coal mining and the safety measures followed will be on display at the expo. As the Minister connected to Singareni Mining Company, “I visited the US and Japan to learn more about mining-related aspects. We studied power storage, and green hydrogen power generation in those countries”, he said.

Bhatti said that Telangana would be a model to the country in quality education. The government for the first time in the country will be starting construction of Integrated Residential schools with Rs 5,000 crore this year. Bhumi puja for these schools will be performed throughout the State on October 11.