HYDERABAD: Raising the pitch for a better India, TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said that he would strive to build a “Bangaru Bharata Desam” (Golden India) on the lines of Bangaru Telangana, by playing a key role in national politics.
Addressing a public meeting in Narayankhed, after laying the foundation stone for two irrigation schemes, Rao said: “We have built Bangaru Telangana. Now we have to better the conditions in the country by transforming it into Bangaru Bharata Desam.”
He elicited a positive response when he sought an answer from the audience on whether he should play a key role at the national level. Then, Rao said that his role in national politics was to develop the country.
The Chief Minister said that irrigation and other sectors have been developed in Telangana, which were neglected in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. “However, the development of a State is also contingent on progress of the country. We have to improve the conditions in the country. India should be better than the US. Even people from other countries should take visas and come to India. Why should our people have to go to the US,” he asked.
Referring to his meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Rao said that the Maharashtra leader had evinced interest in Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima schemes. “Thackeray wished that these schemes should be replicated at the national level,” he said.
Rao, however, said that development would take place only if peace and harmony reigns. “People of all castes, religions and sections should live happily. At present some parties were deriving political mileage by driving a wedge between religions and castes. If there were curfews and police firings, who would invest in our State,” Rao asked.
The Chief Minister directed Finance Minister T Harish Rao to complete the twin lift irrigation schemes in the next one-and-a-half years. The two schemes — Sangameshwara and Basaveshwara were taken up with an estimated cost of Rs 4,427 crore to irrigate 3.84 lakh acre in Andole, Narayankhed, Zaheerabad and Sangareddy Assembly segments.