HYDERABAD: Anumula Revanth Reddy got going on day one by ensuring the dismantling of barriers placed in front of Pragathi Bhavan (the chief minister’s official residence-cum-office that will now be called Praja Bhavan), a symbolic gesture that indicated his government would be transparent and accessible to the people.
Hours before the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, government authorities started removing the iron fences wrapped in barbed wire that were erected in the middle of the road — much to the delight of Congress workers as well as commuters.
On Thursday afternoon, in front of a massive gathering at LB Stadium in Hyderabad, Revanth was sworn in by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan as the second chief minister of Telangana.
The Governor also administered the oath of office to Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, sworn in as deputy CM, and 10 other Congress MLAs.
Top party leaders including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar attended the event.
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Congratulatory messages poured in from all quarters, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, senior BRS leader T Harish Rao and former Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu.
Immediately after being sworn in, the CM signed two files — implementing the promised six guarantees and providing a job to Thumari Rajini, a differently-abled person and M.Com graduate.
Revanth entered the new Secretariat for the first time and occupied the CM chair at the auspicious time of 4.46 pm amid Vedic chants. Earlier in May, he was not allowed to go inside the Secretariat soon after its inauguration when he attempted to file an RTI application.
Two key appointments
Two significant appointments were made after Revanth took over as chief minister with V Sheshadri, a 1999-batch IAS officer, appointed as secretary to the CM, and B Shivadhar Reddy, 1994-batch IPS officer, chosen as intelligence chief.
Earlier, speaking at LB Stadium, Revanth said that even as the swearing-in ceremony was taking place, the iron fence at the chief minister’s residence-cum-office — which he likened to a dorala gadi (a feudal landlord’s fort) — was being demolished.
Addressing thousands of his admirers, Revanth stressed, “We are not rulers but sevaks”. He noted that with the establishment of “Indiramma Rajyam”, people have got liberty and added that they will get social justice soon.
“You (the people) are part and parcel of this government. I am promising my four crore Telangana family that there wouldn’t be any barriers at Pragathi Bhavan. The people can come any time to share their ideas, aspirations and development models. As your beloved leader Revanthanna, I will take the responsibility of blending people’s thoughts into the state’s development and converting it into a welfare state,” the CM said.
He added that he would strive to protect the rights of people while transforming the state and competing with the rest of the world in development.