"Bathukamma is a sentiment for women in Telangana," he said (File)
Hitting out at the BRS over its "loot" while in power, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday asked if the opposition party is ready for a probe into alleged corruption in the implementation of Bathukamma sarees distribution, KCR kits and other schemes during its regime.
Revanth Reddy, who spoke in the Legislative Assembly during the debate on the state budget for 2024-25, also said Metro rail would be expanded to the old city of Hyderabad in the next four years.
Responding to BRS member and former minister T Harish Rao, Revanth Reddy alleged that a toll collection contract of Hyderabad's Outer Ring Road (ORR) was given away for just over Rs 7,000 crore which was worth higher many times.
On the alleged scam in the sheep distribution scheme during the BRS regime, he said about Rs 700 crore irregularities have been found by ACB even before going deep into it. The ED is also involved in the issue, he said.
Though the Bathukamma festival is sentimental for state's women, the women were let down in the scheme of distribution of free sarees for the festival. The women burnt the sarees in view of their inferior quality, he said.
"Bathukamma is a sentiment for women in Telangana. That sentiment was also used for loot," he said.
Recalling that BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao had represented Mahabubnagar in Lok Sabha, Revanth Reddy asked whether the former Chief Minister was not supposed to complete the projects in Mahabubnagar district when he is the first Chief Minister of Telangana.
"If they have run the administration very honestly, I am asking. Bathukamma sarees, KCR Kits, Sheep distribution. You are claiming them to be great schemes. Are you ready for probe? I am asking them to answer," he said.
Revanth Reddy also said Harish Rao is not speaking the truth when he said the previous BRS regime fought with the Centre and did not accept the suggestion to install meters to agriculture pump sets (to benefit the farmers).
Revanth Reddy said the BRS government had signed a tripartite agreement in 2017 with the state power distribution companies and the Centre.
The BRS regime had agreed to install meters to power distribution transformers and also for installing meters to domestic consumers who consume 500 units and 200 units, he said.
Harish Rao said he will respond on the issue after going through the documents concerned, adding that the BRS government did not instal metres to burden any farmer in the state.
Harish Rao also said it is not correct to say that the ORR contract was given away and that the government would get it back.
Responding to CM Revanth Reddy's comments that the previous BRS government entered into a tripartite agreement with the state power discoms and the Centre, Harish Rao on Saturday night recalled KCR's comments that the BRS regime did not agree to install meters to agri pumpsets though the Centre was ready to provide a loan of Rs 30,000 crore.
Revanth Reddy asked whether he stated that meters would be installed to agricultural pumpsets. He also asked whether installing meters to distribution transformers does not cover agriculture connections.
The BRS government handed over the state energy department to the Centre by signing the pact, he charged.
Now, the state government is faced with a situation of installing smart meters to consumers as per the agreement and the BRS should apologise to people, he said.
Responding to AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's comments that the Metro rail network has not been expanded to the old city of Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy said the state government has submitted a representation to the Centre on Metro expansion.
"We gave representation to Centre on the 78 km, phase-2 (of Metro rail). We gave project report. The doubt of our friend is who is going to build. Where will the money come from? That's why, JV model between the Central and state government. The agency is going to take up this work. Joint venture between Govt of India and state government," he said.
The share of the Centre proposed is 15 per cent and state government's share is 35 per cent, while 45 per cent would be a loan. Five per cent share would be the PPP model, he said.
Assuring Akbaruddin Owaisi not to have any worries about the expansion of the Metro rail to the old city, he said he will come to Chandrayangutta (Akbaruddin's Assembly segment) in Metro rail to seek votes in the next polls.
On Akbaruddin Owaisi's comments that a case registered against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the city during the recent Lok Sabha poll campaign over the presence of children during campaign was withdrawn though a case against him (Akbaruddin) is continuing, Revanth Reddy said the government would obtain details on the matter.
He, however, said it was the Congress which had complained to election authorities on the issue of poll campaign attended by Shah.
Revanth Reddy said police filed the charge sheet against the organisers of the campaign event and withdrew the names of Shah and also Union Minister Kishan Reddy from the FIR.
However, Congress has gone to court contending that the case should continue against Shah and Kishan Reddy, he said.
On the occasion, the CM reiterated that the Centre should not discriminate against any state.
Revanth Reddy did not attend the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi on Saturday in protest against the Centre allegedly hurting the state's rights.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)