HYDERABAD: The Telangana development model is exploitative, said activist-professor G Haragopal, while speaking at the inaugural session of People’s Assembly, a four-day online seminar organised by several NGOs and civil society groups to highlight the issues faced by citizens ahead of the State Assembly session.
The People’s Assembly, which was kickstarted on Friday via Zoom, saw the participation of representatives from Adivasi, Dalit, Bahujan communities, civil rights and marginalised groups. Prof Haragopal, Prof Sujatha Surepalli, activist Kaneez Fatima and others spoke on the need for an assembly such as this at a time when there is no question hour in Parliament.
Severely criticising Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said, “The CM doesn’t have the confidence to answer the questions that we would raise, and that is why he is not meeting anyone.”
Speaking on the employment crisis, N Venugopal, a senior journalist and editor of Veekshanam magazine said, “The Telangana movement was built on the promise of 1 to 3 lakh jobs made by the present TSPSC members, Ministers, MLAs, and the Chief Minister. Around 50 lakh people, who account for 10 per cent of the population, are unemployed in the State.”