KTR intensifies attack against BJP for baseless allegations against TRS govt

Hyderabad: Defending his stand on the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), TRS working president and IT minister K.T Ram Rao on 12 March said the Singareni and BHEL could be the next to be privatized. "Isn't Andhra Pradesh a part of India? I will question if something wrong is happening," KTR said, adding he would raise the issue and extend his support to the steel plant employees.

Reply to BJP's remarks labeling the TRS government as anti-employee government, KTR said the BJP government at the Center had given 14 per cent PRC for employees in 2016, before the introduction of GST and demonetization when the economic situation in the country was much stable. "The TRS government offered 43 per cent PRC besides initiating many welfare programs. How can BJP leaders label our government anti-employee?" asked KTR.

Addressing the Telangana Vikas Samithi program here on Friday, the TRS working president said that after the state formation, Hyderabad had progressed under the TRS government. "Three states were formed before Telangana, but they are yet to see development in their regions," said KTR.

Responding to comments made by BJP MLC Ramchander Rao about the appointment of vice-chancellors, KTR said that unlike BJP, the TRS government had set aside political interests and appointed scholars as VCs and senior IAS officers as in-charge vice-chancellors.

"The University of Hyderabad VC appointment and the politics involved in it led to a lot of disturbance on the campus," pointed out KTR. He further said that in the past six years, the state had spent about Rs. 12,800 crores on fee reimbursement and added that the TRS government was providing overseas scholarships to students in the names of Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, and Vivekanand where each student is granted a scholarship of Rs. 20 lakhs.

The minister said that while Telangana was giving top priority to education, the Central government was not extending the required support. No new institutes or universities are granted to Telangana, he added.

KTR said that even in terms of infrastructure development, injustice was done to Telangana as no bullet train or a high-speed rail had come to the state but instead gone to Gujarat.

He alleged that BJP always tried to gain political mileage by instigating communal differences. Every time there are elections, riots take place in Bhainsa, KTR said blaming BJP for the recent violence.