Why is KCR not participating in caste survey, asks Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad, Dec 4 (PTI) Stepping up the attack on BRS, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday asked why BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, his son K T Rama Rao and other party leaders are not participating in the caste survey undertaken by the Congress government.

The government has completed 95 per cent of the survey, he said. The exercise began across the state on November 6.

Addressing a public meeting organised at Peddapally as part of the first anniversary celebrations of the Congress government, he said the caste survey has been taken up to increase quotas and raise share (of backward classes) in funds and power proportionate to population.

Are the BRS leaders, who have got votes of backward classes, against the BCs, he asked.

Congress leaders had participated in an 'intensive household survey' undertaken by the previous BRS regime despite their political differences with the regional party, he said.

"I am asking why Chandrasekhar Rao ji is not participating in the caste survey. I appeal to BC associations to think about it. I appeal to BC brethren to socially boycott those who do not participate in the BC caste survey in Telangana," he said.

Instead of appreciating the Congress government with large-heartedness for taking up such programmes, Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, is "cursing" the government, he alleged.

The state government has filled up 55,143 vacancies in various departments since it assumed office one year ago which is a 'record', Reddy said.

He challenged Union Ministers from Telangana G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar for a debate whether 55,000 jobs have been provided in one year in Gujarat in the last 25 years when PM Narendra Modi was the western state's Chief Minister earlier.

He and other ruling Congress leaders are ready to visit Gujarat, Revanth Reddy said.

"Otherwise, we are inviting your leader Narendra Modi to Telangana. We will arrange special aircraft. We will have debate in Secretariat. We will submit all these details to PM Narendra Modi. The party that fulfilled its promise by recruiting 55,143 government jobs is Congress, Soniamma's guarantee," he said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted other achievements of the Congress government, including clearing pending dues of Rs 7,625 crore of farmers investment support scheme, crop loan waiver of Rs 21,000 crore and payment of bonus of Rs 500 for fine rice variety paddy.

He asked whether Modi or Chief Minister of any state implemented farm loan waiver of such a scale.

He also reiterated the Congress government's ambition to make one crore members of women self-help groups as "crorepatis" in 10 years by encouraging them to take up various business activities.

At the event, the CM handed over appointment letters to candidates who were selected for Group-IV jobs and launched 'Digital Employment Exchange of Telangana (DEET)'. The government also entered into an MoU with seven agencies for the skills university being set up, an official release said.

Revanth Reddy, who has addressed public meetings during the last several days as part of the government's first anniversary celebrations, hit out at the previous BRS regime for its alleged failures on various fronts, including employment generation, farmers welfare. PTI SJR SJR SA