Accept TS’ incredible financial strength : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Accept TS’ incredible financial strength

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Telangana Today (25-11-2023)

(Congress which made only two promises during YSR regime can now offer more only because of KCR’s performance. Telangana GSDP increased (Four times) from Rs 3,59,434 crores in 2011-12 to Rs 13,13,391 crores in 2022-23)

BRS Working President and Telangana Minister for IT, Industries and Municipal Administration KT Rama Rao, in a recent TV interview, shot back at the interviewer on one of his probing questions on Telangana’s wealth after formation. Emphasizing the positive consequences of the ‘enabling governance’ in Telangana, headed by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, during the past nine-and-a-half years, Rama Rao said, either in the creation of wealth, or in achieving the highest per capita income in the country, or in attracting investments in agriculture, industries, IT, services, manufacturing sectors, Telangana was on the top.

He also recalled a remark made by YS Rajasekhara Reddy, on the eve of the 2009 Assembly elections, that the Congress could make only two promises in the then manifesto because of the limits arising out of the financial position prevailing then. As against that, Rama Rao said, the Congress could now make so many promises simply because of the fact that in the last nine-and-a-half years, the BRS government could successfully leverage the State’s finances. Therefore, it is ample proof of the inclusive growth of Telangana that directly encouraged Congress to announce Six Guarantees, acknowledging in ‘heart of hearts’ Telangana’s incredible financial strength.

BRS Manifesto

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) manifesto for the forthcoming Assembly elections, focused on ‘KCR Bima,’ a life insurance scheme, benefiting 93 lakh families, providing coverage of Rs 5 lakh for every ration cardholder, and ‘Telangana Annapurna Scheme’ to supply fine rice to every ration cardholder. Other promises include year-wise enhancement of ‘Rythu Bandhu’ amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 16,000, Aasara Pensions from Rs 2,016 to Rs 5,016, pensions for differently abled persons from Rs 4,016 to Rs 6,016, supply of LPG cylinders at a subsidized price of Rs 400, monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000 under ‘Soubhagya Lakshmi’, increase in Arogyasri Healthcare coverage limit, renamed as ‘KCR Aarogya Raksha’, from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Keeping in view the likely burden on the treasury, year-wise phasing out of the enhancement proposed by the Chief Minister is a realistic approach.

Congress’ Manifesto

As against this, the Congress hurriedly announced the fancy named ‘Six Guarantees,’ namely, ‘Mahalakshmi’ (Rs 2,500 per month free travel and LPG gas cylinder at Rs 500 for women), ‘Rythu Bharosa’ (Rs 15,000 for farmers and tenant farmers, and Rs 12,000 to farm labourers per year and Rs 500 bonus for paddy crop), ‘Indiramma’ (Rs 5 lakh for construction of house for houseless poor and 250 sq yard land for all activists of the Telangana movement); ‘Yuva Vikasam’( Rs 5 lakh Vidya Bharosa card for students), ‘Gruha Jyothi’ (200 units free electricity to poor household), and ‘Cheyutha’(Rs 4,000 monthly pension to elderly and Rs 10 lakh Rajiv Arogyasri Insurance.

The cost of implementing the ‘Six Guarantees,’ and a couple of their other schemes, works out to over Rs 2.15 lakh crore, according to finance experts. The harsh reality is that the Congress in Karnataka resorted to enhancing taxes like excise duties, stamp duties, MV tax burdening the common man to fulfil its election promises, that too partially. It means Telangana will face the same situation if the Congress is voted to power.

Growth Journey

Telangana, under K Chandrashekhar Rao, steadily and inclusively created unprecedented wealth and prosperity for all sections of the people. The State which ranked the lowest in per capita income, per capita power and GSDP among others at the time of formation has now reached the number one position in the country.

Revenue receipts grew more than three times, from Rs 51,042 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1,59,350 crore provisionally in 2022-2023. Of this, State’s Own Revenue touched Rs 1,26,503 crore in 2022-23, up over three-fold from Rs 35,735 crore in 2014-15. The per capita income which stood at Rs 91,121 in 2011-12, increased to Rs 1,24,104 in 2014 and to Rs 3,12,398 in 2022-23. It is currently at Rs 3,17,115. The corresponding figures for the country during the same period stood at Rs 63,462 (2011-12) and only Rs 1,72,276 (2022-23). Per capita percentage growth of Telangana in 2022-23 over 2013-14 was 178.52% while that of the country during the period was 117.74%.

Telangana GSDP increased (Four times) from Rs 3,59,434 crores in 2011-12 to Rs 13,13,391 crores in 2022-23. It was Rs 5.05 lakh crores in 2014 and Rs 13.27 lakh crores in 2023. GSDP percentage growth of Telangana in 2022-23 over 2013-14 is 190.84%. Country’s GDP increased from Rs 87,36,329 crores to Rs 272,40,712 crores (Only three times) during the same period. GDP percentage growth of India in 2022-23 over 2013-14 is 142.49%.

With 24-hour power supply to all sectors, the per capita power consumption increased by leaps and bounds and has now touched 2,126 units exceeding the national average of 1,255 units, 70% more. Installed power capacity is 18756 Megawatts and peak demand is 15497 Megawatts. Soon the State will reach the target of 27,000 Mw of installed power capacity. Since 2014-15, a subsidy of Rs 39,200 crore has been given towards ‘free power supply’ to the agriculture sector. At present, the government spends Rs 10,000 crore a month on free power supply.

There has been phenomenal industrial and IT growth in Telangana which signifies substantial wealth creation. For instance, when compared with 174 industrial units with investments of Rs 1,806 crore, providing employment for 5,051 persons during 2014-15, growth by 2022-23 is unprecedented. The corresponding figures are, 22,776 units with Rs 2,60,121 crore investments providing employment to 17,55,319. As far as IT is concerned, exports that were Rs 57,258 crore providing employment to 3,23,396 in 2013-14 touched Rs 2,41,275 crore in 2022-23 providing employment to 9,05,715 persons.

In production of Milk, Fish, Prawns, Paddy, Cotton, Maize, Red gram, Bengal gram, Groundnut, Soyabean etc. the growth is incredible. Owing to the lion’s share of budgetary provision and expenditure, amounting to Rs 1.70 lakh crore on irrigation projects during the last nine-and-a-half years, the gross irrigated area significantly increased from 131 lakh acres in 2014-15 to 268 lakh acres in 2023. The number of reservoirs too increased from 41 in 2014 to 157 in 2023. As a result, paddy production was up from 45.71 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to 202 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 and 350 lakh tonnes in 2023. The State has emerged as the second-largest supplier of paddy to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

By spending Rs 10,360 crore, 43.85 lakh benefited through Aasara Pensions in 2022-23. Till September 2023, Rs 9,545 crore was spent under Kalyana Lakshmi, benefiting 10,71,059, while Rs 2,382 crore was spent under Shaadi Mubarak, benefiting 2,75,617. Towards Rythu Bandhu, up to the 2022-23 monsoon crop, an amount of Rs 73,165 crore was disbursed benefiting 68,99,076 farmers. These are indicators of the great wealth creation in Telangana, reducing the multidimensional poverty in the State from 13.18% in 2014 to 5.8% in 2023.

All this was possible just because ‘Telangana is a wealthy State’ and because ‘it is made a wealthy state’ by Chandrashekhar Rao. Notwithstanding the fabulous achievements, the Chief Minister, while addressing Praja Ashirwad Sabhas announced that he is determined to make Telangana the number one State on all fronts, and towards this, he is fighting elections to strengthen ‘Bangaru Telangana’ that would be free of poverty and illiteracy.

(The writer is Chief Public Relations Officer to the Chief Minister of Telangana)