HYDERABAD: Blaming the BRS for the state government’s economic situation, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the financial assessment had gone awry, capital revenue had declined and debts had increased. However, he asserted that the Congress government remained unfazed and was committed to keeping people informed about the actual financial situation. He made these remarks while launching the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme — part of the Congress’s six guarantees — at the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
“The assessment differed from the revenue collected and the state’s debt. Why should the government lie when people are already experiencing financial constraints?” the chief minister asked, accusing the previous BRS government of mismanaging the state’s finances by failing to collect taxes and not curbing extravagance.
His statements assume significance as the state government is set to present the Annual Financial Statement for 2025–26 on March 19. He also said he had doubled the state’s daily income from `1.5 crore to `3 crore through sand trade.
Committed to addressing unemployment issue: CM
Responding to critics who claimed he had no control over the government, the chief minister said that administrative control was not about dismissing a few ministers or sending bureaucrats to jail but about effectively coordinating available resources. “It takes time to build, but no time to destroy,” he remarked.
Outlining the government’s objective with Rajiv Yuva Vikasam, he expressed concern that Telangana, known for its informed citizenry and social movements, was rapidly heading toward a drug crisis similar to Punjab. He warned that the use of ganja, synthetic drugs and cocaine was on the rise due to unemployment among youth.
To address this, the state government was striving to provide jobs and create employment opportunities by offering financial aid and advanced skill-based technical training, Revanth said.
The chief minister announced that financial assistance ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh would be provided to eligible applicants, with Rs 6,000 crore to be disbursed over the next two months. The list of beneficiaries will be announced on June 2, coinciding with the Telangana Formation Day.
He said around 5,000 beneficiaries would be selected from each Assembly constituency and urged MLAs to ensure utmost transparency and accountability in the selection process.