Fifty months of KCR rule makes a huge Difference-1 : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Fifty months of KCR rule makes a huge Difference-1

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Hans India (19-08-2018)

Let me, as CPRO to Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, for exactly 50 months, since 19^th of June 2014, present an eye witness yet concise account of the just completed 50 months tenure in the office of KCR with his apex team. After successfully spearheading the struggle and achieving Telangana as the 29^th state of Indian Union, he went on to become its first Chief Minister. Since coming to power on June 2, 2014, the Chief Minister has focused on Governance with a difference and has left no stone unturned in defining, designing and delivering the schemes that the state and its people required.

I remember the day (17^th June 2014), just two days before I officially assumed charge as CPRO to CM, when the CM presided over an informal marathon meeting lasting for more than eight hours, from afternoon till late in the evening, a fortnight after KCR was sworn in as CM.  He presented his vision of the state, emphasizing constantly the words, Telangana needs to be reinvented and reoriented.

During that meeting CM presented his vision on several aspects that the state would be facing and the process to deal with them. All subjects were covered like Telangana budget and the funds flow; sources of income; resource mobilization; agriculture loan waiver; fee reimbursement; KG to PG free and compulsory education; irrigation projects as a priority item; drinking water project; power projects and power supply without cuts; two bedroom housing for poor; massive employment program; single window industrial policy; police reforms; brand image of Hyderabad city; massive and schematic plantation; our Village and our Planning; land purchase scheme for Dalits etc. among others. 

Subsequently and from time to time, for taking forward his vision, CM held a series of review meetings, touching every aspect of development and welfare of the state and people. CM used to say time and again that the present Telangana state had never existed before in this form and has to be viewed as a new state and therefore, needs a historical beginning. That is how several Schemes were meticulously planned and designed by the CM with his personal touch. 

CM had been abroad only twice, once to Singapore and second time to China to attract foreign investments. On invitation, CM participated in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2015, held in Dalian, China.

            The state during the last 50 months recorded remarkable growth in a very short time since it achieved separate hood. Today it has become a development and welfare role model state to the entire country. Every sector that suffered very badly during the erstwhile united rule have been rejuvenated. The people centric development designs and plans extended a helping hand to poor, vulnerable and downtrodden. Welfare measures benefited the have-nots and dis-advantaged immensely. As envisioned by CM the state has been reinventing and reorienting itself and, in the process, helping the Nation development.

KCR Government firmly initiated steps to overcome agrarian crisis that existed at the formation of state and strengthen agriculture sector and thereby enthuse self confidence in the farmer. Waiver of Rs 17,000 Crore Agricultural loans benefitting 35.29 Lakhs farmers, payment of Input Subsidies, waiving of transport tax on the Agriculture Tractors, increasing the amount of compensation to the members of the bereaved farmer families who committed suicide to Rs 6 lakhs, procuring and making available to the farmer the fertilizers and seeds well in advance, stringent steps against those who supply spurious fertilizers, pesticides and seeds were some of the measures initiated and implemented by KCR Government. 

            Telangana is the one and only state in the country which supplies quality power free of cost round the clock 24 hours to the farmer from First of January 2018. Those who cursed that Telangana will plunge into darkness if the state is formed had to swallow their words. In a short period from now, Telangana will become a power surplus state.

To make the farmers aware of the strength of unity, Rythu Samanvaya Samithis (Farmers Coordination Committees) were formed. These committees help the farmer right from seeding to obtaining support price for their product at every stage. Reservations have been introduced in Market Committees enabling individuals belonging to SC, ST, BC and Women become Chairman of the Market committees.

            For an everlasting permanent solution to the land disputes and for maintaining the land records with utmost transparency, State Government had done comprehensive cleansing of land records. The efforts of Government resulted in getting clarity of rights of land ownership in case of 94% of the lands in the state. The Government also initiated comprehensive reforms to achieve 100% transparency in the land registration system for which Dharani website has been designed.

            ‘RYTHU BANDHU’ aiming at investment support to agriculture is being implemented. Through this scheme every farmer owning a land gets at the rate of Rs. 4000 per acre per season for both the seasons amounting to Rs.8000. The Government has distributed cheques worth Rs.5,111 crores for the first crop to 49,49,000 farmers. It is for the first time in the history of the Country that on such a large-scale distribution of money to the farmers took place.

The Government started implementing through the Life Insurance Corporation of India from August 15, 2018 the Rythu Bhima scheme aiming at paying Rs. 5 lakhs insurance amount to the members of the bereaved farmer’s family within 10 days of the death and create confidence in the family. (To be continued tomorrow)