HYDERABAD: On day two and last day of his visit to Hyderabad, Congress president Rahul Gandhi chose to hit the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS government where it hurts the most as he alleged massive corruption in the name of re-designing of Kaleshwaram and Sitarama projects — considered close to CM ’s heart.
He described Chandrasekhar Rao as a “re-design specialist’’ who, using his magic wand, was re-designing the projects leading to a massive increase in the project cost. “The CM re-designed the Pranahita Chevella project and gave a new name to it — Kaleshwaram. The project originally cost Rs 38,000 crore but Rao, using his magic wand, escalated the cost to Rs 1 lakh crore. There was no tendering process nor any transparency. The money straight went into the pocket of one family. There are two more re-designs he did. Indira Sagar and Rajiv Sagar, Dummugudem. He re-designed them, gave them a new name of Sitarama and the cost which originally stood at Rs 2.5 thousand crores became Rs 12,000 crores. In Delhi, PM Narendra Modi re-designs and here KCR re-designs,’’ Gandhi said, at a public meet at Saroornagar on Tuesday.
Referring to both Narendra Modi and KCR as ‘re-designers,’ the Congress chief said about 4,000 farmers had committed suicide ever since Telangana came into being but the government was not bothered about their plight. In support of his claim that both Narendra Modi and Rao do not allow people to speak and put forth their problems, he drew a comparison between New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar (where protests are organised) and Dharna Chowk near Indira Park. “No one can protest in Jantar Mantar and here in Hyderabad, no one can protest at Dharna Chowk (as it was banned).”
Gandhi tried to establish a connection with the locals when he said that the slogan of the youth during the Telangana agitation was “Neelu, Niddulu, Niyamakalu’’ but when the state was formed and after Rao became CM, the dream was not fulfilled.
Congress promises dole for unemployed
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that a monthly
Rs 3,000 unemployment dole would be given to 10 lakh youths, if Congress is voted to power in 2019 Assembly elections. Addressing the Nirudyoga Garjana, the PCC president alleged that the TRS failed to recruit any new jobs in the last four years. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the TRS government also failed to provide fee reimbursement to the students.
‘Confident of win in Telangana’
Rahul Gandhi said he was sure that his party would not win the elections in AP, but was confident of victory in Telangana. “As far alliances are concerned, I leave it to my state Congress leaders to give me suggestions. In Telangana, we are fighting the TRS government.’’