Hyderabad: Pitching welfare spending and fresh assurances as the Congress govt’s calling card ahead of the Feb 11 municipal elections, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said his govt had spent Rs 17,472 crore on the development of municipalities and municipal corporations over the last two years and promised to scale up investments if Congress candidates are elected across 123 urban local bodies (ULBs).Addressing an election rally in Miryalaguda in Nalgonda district, the CM said the govt would sanction lakhs more Indiramma houses from April onwards, with allocations to be earmarked in the 2026-27 state budget. He also announced that the Rs 9,000 crore Rythu Bharosa amount would be deposited into farmers’ bank accounts immediately after the municipal elections. Revanth said welfare and development could be effectively implemented only by the state govt and urged voters to back Congress candidates in the urban polls. Holding the municipal administration and urban development portfolio himself, the CM said he would ensure the overall development of ULBs and asserted that the Congress would remain in power for another eight years by winning the next assembly elections. ‘Think before vote’Listing welfare schemes implemented over the last two years, the CM cited new ration cards, fine rice distribution, 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2 lakh crop loan waiver, Rythu Bharosa, free RTC bus travel, 70,000 govt jobs, Rs 500 gas cylinder, and Indiramma housing. “Before casting your vote, think if you benefited from one or many of these welfare schemes, and if yes, elect Congress candidates in all the 123 ULBs going to polls on Feb 11,” he appealed to voters.Launching a sharp attack on the previous BRS govt and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Revanth referred to the phone tapping case and said KCR cannot be called the ‘father of Telangana’ (Telangana jati pita). Calling KCR a ‘thief, the CM said Sonia Gandhi, who granted statehood to Telangana, should be called ‘Telangana Thalli’. He added that Professor K Jayashankar, who sacrificed everything for the state, deserved to be called the ‘father of Telangana,’ and not KCR. ‘Plundered T’s wealth’Accusing KCR and his family of plundering Telangana’s wealth, Revanth dared KCR, BRS leaders KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao to donate their farmhouses, TV channels, newspapers and wealth worth thousands of crores to the people. “I am saying this in the context of BRS leaders’ remarks that issuing notices on KCR was like serving notices on Telangana society. If so, even their properties should belong to the people of Telangana,” he said. The CM also alleged that during the former BRS govt’s tenure, the phones of journalists, judges, film celebrities and political leaders were snooped on. “Usually, police bring those accused in heinous crimes with face masks. The police should have brought KTR and Harish too with face masks for questioning or by applying black ink on their faces,” he said, while alleging that the previous govt had deliberately failed to complete the SLBC project. Earlier in the day, Revanth laid the foundation stone for an integrated residential school in Miryalaguda, estimated to cost Rs 200 crore, and distributed interest-free loan cheques to women members of self-help groups. He also interacted with Congress candidates contesting from various wards in Miryalaguda municipality. GFX; CM Revanth said the Congress govt has sanctioned Rs 295 crore for Miryalaguda development and will spend more in future. Cong spent Rs 17,472 crore on ULBs in two years. Rs 2,028 crore spent on the ULBs in combined Nalgonda district alone. The CM, who holds the municipal portfolio, promised thousands of crores more funds for development of ULBs in the state.Promised that Rythu Bharosa Rs 9000 crore will be deposited into bank accounts of farmers after municipal elections. Promised sanction of lakhs of more Indiramma houses from April onwards.
