HYDERABAD: The new state-of-the-art Secretariat building will serve as a testimony to and epitomise the rebuilding of Telangana, its pride and self-esteem, BRS president and Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao said as he inaugurated the structure, dismissing his political opponents as "lilliputs" who couldn't understand the meaning of rebuilding or digest Telangana's development over the last nine years.
Rao addressed the officials and Secretariat staff after inaugurating the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat in a grand ceremony on Sunday, lashing out at his political detractors when he talked about 'rebuilding Telangana' after he assumed charge as the CM following the formation of Telangana state in 2014.
Rao recalled how, in the days following the formation of Telangana state, some people tried to dismiss each step he had taken to propel the state ahead, saying that there were some "political dwarfs" who maintained that "I was ruining Telangana, not acknowledging that it was just the beginning of the process of rebuilding".
The CM said that the "political dwarfs" became envious when he began construction of the new Secretariat, which would be a glorious tribute to Telangana pride, while asking them not to be envious of Telangana's progress and development.
"When I spoke about rebuilding Telangana in 2014, some dwarfs mocked me. They asked me what I meant by rebuilding. They questioned whether the goal was to demolish Telangana and rebuild it. Some people wondered whether rebuilding entailed demolishing existing structures and erecting new ones in their place. They were opposed to the building of the new Secretariat. They criticised that rebuilding Telangana after the bifurcation of AP does not imply demolishing old structures and raising new edifices in their place," Rao recalled as he outlined the TRS (now BRS) government's welfare packages and development programmes during the last nine years.
The state's phenomenal growth in various sectors was an example and a symbol of rebuilding Telangana, he said emphatically, adding that "these dwarfs are so blinded that they cannot see the development of Telangana in the last nine years", to thunderous applause from the ministers, officials, and staff present.
Rao emphasised the social initiatives and development activities carried out during his nine-year administration, asserting that, in comparison to other states, Telangana delivered a welfare government while setting an example for the entire nation under the TRS (now BRS) rule.
"We have revived all the minor irrigation tanks built by Kakatiya rulers in Telangana that were destroyed by AP rulers. We are providing 24x7 power to all sectors while there used to be a power crisis in AP. We are providing treated tap water to all households through Mission Bhagiratha while people had to walk several miles to fetch potable water in AP. We are providing 24x7 free power to agriculture while farmers used to get power only during nights that too for two or three houses in AP. This was what I meant by rebuilding Telangana" Rao stated.
Rao cited the world's largest multi-purpose lift irrigation project Kaleshwaram as an example of Telangana's rebuilding. "As a result, agriculture in Telangana has been revitalised." This year, India registered a crop sown area of 94 lakh acres in rabi. Of this, Telangana alone accounts for 56 lakh acres," he said.
Further, he stated that his government had attracted record investments in industries as well as the IT sector over the last nine years of governance, outperforming cities such as Bengaluru. "We created a record number of IT jobs and even outpaced Bengaluru in IT job creation." He said that the Palle and Pattana Pragathi programmes have improved the living conditions in villages, cities, and slums that were previously notorious for poor living conditions.
Rao has emphasised the absence of communal unrest as evidence of the state's outstanding governance since its formation. "The Telangana police ensured that there was not a single incident of communal tension or law and order problems in the state. The police emerged as the best in maintaining women’s safety through SHE teams. We have also rebuilt the Yadadri temple, which is attracting a large number of devotees from across the world. This is all part of Telangana’s reconstruction," he asserted. He stated that the growth and development of any state could be measured using only two parameters: per capita income and per capita power utilisation.
"Telangana has the highest per capita income in the country at Rs 3.17 lakh and highest per capita power consumption of 2,140 units," Rao said.
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