BRS legislators back to school under teacher KCR

Hyderabad: With the elections round the corner, Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao has literally turned into a teacher at the legislature party and other party meetings!

He is not only giving tips to MLAs on how to win over people/voters in their respective constituencies but also conducting GK tests on the schemes implemented by the government in the state.

To his shock, many MLAs faltered in giving correct answers on state government schemes and policies, forcing the Chief Minister to pull them up and asking them to improve their general knowledge.

In an earlier meeting, he pulled up some MLAs for taking commissions from Dalits for sanctioning Dalit Bandhu scheme in the state and warned that they will not only lose tickets but also be sent out from the party.

BRS MPs, MLAs, and other senior party leaders attending KCR meetings are on high alert, brushing up their knowledge on schemes and also avoiding anything that would earn the ire of their Big Boss.

Sources in the BRS said at the just-held meeting of the legislature party, parliamentary party, corporation chairpersons, DCCB, DCMS, and other important functionaries in the government and BRS, the chief minister got down to brass-tacks sick of repeated requests for sanction of school buildings, hostels, etc., by some of the legislators.

Preparing for the decennial celebrations of the BRS government, the chief minister randomly tested the GK of some of the legislators at the meeting on government schemes and how to win over people.

He asked Thungathurthi MLA Dr Gadari Kishore how many government hostels were there but he latter failed to give the correct answer. Similarly, he put questions to Medak MLA Padma Devender Reddy, Jangaon MLA Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy, and others on the number of Rythu Vedikas, hostels, and others in their respective constituencies, but they too could not give the correct answers.

Frustrated, the chief minister quipped, “This is what is lacking. You don’t know your own schemes. You come to me with a request to sanction hostels, Rythu Vedikas, etc., but you don’t know how many are there in your constituencies. People utilise existing ones and come to me. Please do your homework and brush up your knowledge on existing government schemes. You don’t have to do much to win the next elections. We will win. We have done a lot for the people in the past nine years. We have taken up many developmental programmes, schemes that have benefitted people in a big way. Tell them what we have done, they will vote you to power again.”

He added, “We have solved the power and water problem. There is no power cut and industry is booming. There is no water crisis, unlike in other states. In fact, we have surplus water now thanks to Mission Kakatiya, Haritha Haram, etc. We have desilted tanks. There is plenty of water for drinking purposes and agriculture. All you have to do is to explain to people our achievements and seek their support.”

Referring to government residential schools, KCR told the legislators and parliamentarians that the concept was started by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao when he was the CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh. “Give credit to PV garu or anyone who has done good to the state and society. We are implementing PV’s concept. It is working well,” said KCR.

He advised MLAs to have luncheon meetings with farmers at Rythu Vedikas, meet all sections of people and ascertain their problems and seek their suggestions. “Such interactions will help you to understand the ground realities. You can solve them or bring it to my notice for any rectification. It will help in understanding the ground realities,” the CM reportedly said.

Remarked a legislator: “This is one of the best meetings with CM we ever had. We learnt a lot from him and will follow his advice. It was not a meeting but a classroom…back to school. As a teacher, CM garu drove home the point that we should have knowledge about our schemes at our finger tips and frequent interactions with people will solve many problems.”