Hyderabad: Seeking votes for the BRS in the November 30 assembly polls, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday attacked the Congress over the issue of power supply and cautioned farmers that if the opposition party came to power, they would lose control of their lands.
Stating that the grand old party, despite being given several chances to rule earlier, failed to provide power supply to farmers 24 hours a day, Rao said if the Congress comes to power, it would also abolish Dharani, the state government's land management portal, leaving farmers in the lurch.
KCR was speaking at a rally in Sircilla, about 150 km from here. It is the constituency from which his son and BRS Working President K T Rama Rao is contesting in the assembly poll.
Pointing out that Telangana farmers produce three crore tonnes of paddy annually, he attacked the opposition saying, Congress leaders say only three hours of power supply (a day) is enough (for farmers). They say why KCR is giving 24 hours unnecessarily.
"This hopeless Congress was given many opportunities earlier. Sixty years they only ruled. Never during their tenure, they gave 24 hours power." Stating that even in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, power is not supplied 24-hours-a-day, he said it was made possible in Telangana only due to his persistent efforts after he became chief minister.
On the land portal Dharani, he warned that Congress leaders, including AICC leader Rahul Gandhi, have said they would abolish it. Congress party leaders, PCC President, CLP leader and Rahul Gandhi, also said Dharani will be thrown in the Bay of Bengal if they come to power.
"You farmers please decide whether the control on your land should be with you or with the officials at various stages," he told the public gathering. He said land rates in the state have increased phenomenally as a result of development and that Telangana is the number one state on per capita income and power consumption.
Listing out the welfare schemes implemented by the BRS regime, Rao said in order to provide work to weavers in Sircilla and other places, his government was giving free sarees to women folk, free of cost, under the Bathukamma Sarees scheme.
Later speaking at a separate rally at Siddipet, about 90 km from Hyderabad, Rao recalled his association with the constituency. KCR used to represent Siddipet assembly constituency in united Andhra Pradesh. Seeking votes for the BRS candidate, his nephew T Harish Rao, KCR said Siddipet has become the jewel in the crown for Telangana in terms of development.
