The chief minister said, "As long as KCR is alive, Telangana will remain a secular state."
Hyderabad: In a bid to woo minority voters, Bharat Rashtra Samithi President and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said if his party is voted to power again, the government will set up a special Information Technology park near here for minority youths.
Addressing a rally in Maheshwaram, from where Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy is contesting in the November 30 polls, KCR said his government treats Muslims and Hindus as two eyes and takes everyone along.
"Today, we are giving pensions which Muslims are also getting. We have opened residential schools in which Muslim students also study. We take everyone along with us. Today, we are thinking about Muslim youths and setting up a special IT park for them near Hyderabad. The IT park will come up near Pahadi Shareef," he said.
Asserting that Telangana is "peaceful" without any law-and-order issues, Mr Rao said the BRS government has spent Rs 12,000 crore towards minority development during the past 10 years against Rs 2,000 crore spent by the Congress during its 10-year regime.
"As long as KCR is alive, Telangana will remain a secular state," he said.
According to the chief minister, development was possible in Telangana after it became a separate state.
"Who achieved statehood for Telangana? Who is able to implement 24-hour free power? Who brought tap water to every doorstep?" he asked the people, who shouted back "KCR".
Stating that when Telangana was formed, the situation was chaotic with no proper drinking and irrigation water facilities, Mr Rao said wealth has been growing as his government is putting in efforts and maintaining fiscal discipline.
He said there is no water tax in Telangana, unlike any other state in India even as the government is providing 24 hours of free "quality" power to farmers.
KCR said the agricultural situation has improved in the state and, if the same measures are continued for another 10 to 15 years, farmers would come out of the woods.
Alleging that the Congress is saying that KCR is wasting taxpayers' money and giving 'Rythu Bandhu', an investment support to farmers, he said if the BRS is voted to power again, not only will the scheme be continued but the amount under it would be increased to Rs 16,000 gradually from the existing Rs 10,000 per annum.
"Congress leaders are saying carelessly that they would give power only for three hours. They are also saying that the Dharani (an integrated land administration portal) will be dumped in the Bay of Bengal," he said, adding that the Congress's move may result in the resumption of the middlemen regime.
Requesting the people to think and take a decision about whom they should vote for, he said the vote would change the future of the state for the next five years.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)