KCR’s spree of announcing sops continues ahead of Dec. polls

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announces sops to various sections in Telangana Assembly, including interim relief to government employees, appointment of Pay Revision Commission, meeting to decide on allowing sale of assignment lands, merging of State Road Transport Corporation with government, establishing hi-tech rice mills and bonus to coal company employees. CM also highlights progress made by Telangana since 2014 in terms of per capita income, GSDP, energy consumption and mortality rate.

Ahead of the Assembly elections due in December this year, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has continued the spree of announcing sops to various sections in the Assembly on Sunday, announcing the sanction of interim relief soon to the government employees and appointing the Pay Revision Commission (PRC).

He, however, preferred to tread cautiously on the issue of the revival of the old pension scheme being demanded by the employees for long by stating that he “can’t commit/say anything right away” but would examine it. He noted that the issue had become “multi-knotty” on pension funds and it was not fulfilled in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh where the Congress had promised it before elections.

Replying to the debate — a short discussion on Telangana State Formation, progress achieved in the own State — in the Assembly on Sunday, he also assured to hold a meeting soon on taking a decision on allowing the allottees of assignment lands in urban areas to sell them for better living.

He stated that the decision to merge the State Road Transport Corporation with the government was taken after coming to the conclusion that it was getting increasingly difficult for the agency to overcome losses. He thanked the Governor for giving nod for introduction of the Bill in the Assembly, even with some delay.

Further, he stated that the State Civil Corporation would establish hi-tech rice mills with Japanese technology with a milling capacity of 2 crore tonnes a year as the production of paddy was expected to reach 4 crore tonnes in the next few years from the present 3 crore tonnes.

On the Congress observation that the strength employees in Singareni Collieries Company Ltd was coming down over the years, the Chief Minister blamed the party for handing over 49% stake to the Centre in the 100% State PSU due to the inefficiency of the combined Andhra Pradesh government. He mentioned that unable to repay the loans borrowed, the stake was handed over to the Centre.

However, Telangana government had improved the performance of the company and its turnover had increased from ₹12,000 crore at the time of State formation to ₹33,000 crore in 2022-23. Similarly, its profit had gone up from ₹419 crore to ₹2,222 crore. He announced that the coal company employees would be given ₹1,000 crore as a bonus later this year against just ₹83 crore given in 2013-14.