Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s brainchild, Bangaru Thalli, gave enough ammunition to PCC chief and Transport Minister Botcha Satyanarayana and Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, to corner him at the Cabinet meeting here Friday.
Botcha and Jana, who have been openly expressing their displeasure over Kiran Reddy’s unilateral announcement of the scheme, which is aimed at providing financial security to every girl child across the State, are learnt to have turned the tables on the Chief Minister, questioning him on its viability.
According to sources, the moment Bangaru Thalli came up for discussion, Botcha and Jana, who the other day reportedly registered their dissatisfaction over the scheme with the Congress high command, raised objections.
“The government is unable to find resources for ongoing welfare schemes. Some have become defunct. Is it proper to announce a new scheme without proper exercise on financial feasibility? If Bangaru Thalli is not properly implemented for lack of funds, our government and the party will have to bear the brunt,” Botcha is quoted as saying. Jana Reddy is learnt to have suggested an entirely new scheme in place of Bangaru Thalli.
Jana suggested depositing of a lump sum amount in the name of the girl child instead of giving the amount in a phased manner.
However, Chief Minister Kiran Reddy is learnt to have told Jana Reddy to discuss his new scheme at the Cabinet sub-committee, which is being set up to discuss Bangaru Thalli. In the three-and-a-half hour long Cabinet meeting, the discussion on Bangaru Thalli alone took more than an hour-and-a-half.
According to sources, despite the objections raised by Botcha and Jana, the Chief Minister told them firmly that he was determined to implement Bangaru Thalli, which he said, would pay electoral dividends in the general elections to the Congress.
Kiran Reddy told his Cabinet colleagues that he was also firm about passing a legislation in the ensuing second half of the budget session of the Assembly to give statutory status to Bangaru Thalli.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also agreed to convene cabinet meetings twice a month dispensing with the present practice of holding meeting once in three months. “Henceforth, we all will meet every second Friday and fourth Friday,” Kiran Reddy told his colleagues.
Even though there was no reference to DL Ravindra Reddy, an issue raised by him while criticising the Chief Minister, came up for discussion.
That is non-release of funds to the Lakhpati scheme, a girl child welfare scheme launched by late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Kiran Reddy assured that funds would be released to the scheme soon.
Ravindra Reddy forgotten
The entire Cabinet is learnt have ignored DL Ravindra Reddy, who was sacked from the Cabinet recently.
Surprisingly, none of the ministers including Deputy Chief Minister C Damodara Rajanarasimha, K Jana Reddy, Botcha and C Ramachandraiah raised Ravindra Reddy’s issue during the Cabinet meeting.
Interestingly, Rajanarasimha, who has reportedly taken up the issue of Ravindra Reddy with his party top brass in Delhi on Thursday, maintained stony silence throughout the Cabinet meeting.
Kiran Reddy’s nit-picker Ramachandraiah also softened his stance. Ramachandraiah asked about the Brahmani land while Botcha enquired about the status of lands given to VANPIC.
