KARIMNAGAR/WARANGAL: BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday anounced that fitness certificates and permanent tax system for auto-rickshaws would be scrapped if the BRS is returned to power. He also assured that the process of absorbing TSRTC employees into state government service would start soon after the BRS returned to power.
Addressing election meetings in Manakondur, Station Ghanpur, Nalgonda and Nakrekal Assembly segments, KCR said that the Congress lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) due to which the process of waiving the remaining crop loans was delayed. He assured that once the BRS returns to power, crop loans of Rs 1 lakh and above would be written off.
The chief minister said that Telangana was the only state in the country where there was no tax for auto-rickshaws. He said that the BRS would remove fitness tests and scrap permanent tax too if voted to power. There are around five lakh auto-rickshaws in the state and the move would save the drivers around Rs 100 crore.
KCR said that as there was a delay on the part of Raj Bhavan in clearing the RTC Bill, the process of absorbing TSRTC employees into government services could not be started before the elections. He said that the RTC Bill was already adopted by the Legislature and the process of taking the corporation employees into government service would start immediately after BRS is returned to power.
Continuing his attack on the Congress, KCR said that Indiramma Rajyam witnessed Emergency and lack of food. “If Indiramma Rajyam was so good, where was the necessity for NT Rama Rao to establish the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)? NTR provided Rs 2-a-kg rice and satiated the hunger of the people. The rich became richer and the poor poorer in Indiramma Rajyam,” he alleged.
Explaining the pending crop loan waiver, KCR said that it was delayed due to Covid-19 that dented the revenues of the State.
Cong plaint delayed loan waiver: KCR
“Though we wanted to waive the crop loan now, the Congress lodged a complaint with the ECI and stalled the process. Now, the same Congress leaders are alleging that the BRS government failed to waive crop loans,” KCR said.
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On Congress assurance to scrap Dharani portal and introduce Bhumatha portal, Rao wondered whether it was Bhumatha or Bhu Metha (grabbing lands?)