‘We brought in a free and fair governance model that Telangana yearned for’

Congress government in Telangana faces high expectations of good governance, accountability, and employment opportunities amidst financial challenges.

Welcomed into power with huge debts and guarantees that will drain the State resources, the Congress government is facing Telangana society in Parliament elections that has high hopes on delivery of good governance, accountability, abundant employment opportunities, corruption-free government and where the free speech is not attacked.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, in an interview with Ravi Reddy and R. Ravikanth Reddy, explains that the expectations of Telangana society will be respected and fulfilled.

We are satisfied more than we expected and so are the people though governance is a continuing responsibility with challenges being thrown up every day. We brought in a free and fair governance model that Telangana yearned for. Governance is visible and not confined to one building unlike the previous government.

Chief Minister and other Cabinet colleagues are available for people to meet, they are reviewing their departments regularly thus instilling discipline among the employees and hopes among the people. In a welfare State like India, we have to be interactive. Most importantly, we are setting right the democratic systems and channels that were destroyed under the BRS regime.

At the time of Bifurcation we were a financially surplus State. After 10 years we are left with a debt of ₹7 lakh crore and the interest that we need to pay on them is enormous. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) did not spend money on creating infrastructure but on projects like Kaleshwaram whose utility value is in question. The Bhadadri and Yadadri power projects are a burden.

The BRS demolished the entire financial strength of the State without planning. They might have done it deliberately to loot the State. People should know it and that’s why we released the White papers in the House. We are trying to set right with proper financial discipline but it will take years to clear the mess left behind.

Mr. K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s government spent irrationally and with a feudal mindset. When power was available cheaper they paid ₹20 per unit and now we are buying it at ₹10 per unit. The then government never bothered to look at alternative power sources like solar and renewable, which are much much cheaper. Unfortunately, in the last 10 years, the government did not even have a policy on alternate energy.