Minister for Finance T Harish Rao on Saturday poked fun at Congress leaders for boasting about their strength to bring down the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.
Referring to film star Rajinikanth comparing Hyderabad to New York, the Minister said that the superstar praised the development of Hyderabad. Some political leaders in the State are unable to recognise the progress the State made though the people from the neighbouring State appreciated the success of developmental activities and welfare schemes in Telangana. The rapid progress the State made in the last nine years was there for everyone to see.
“Do you want to bring down the government because it is providing water from Kaleshwaram to farmers and people? Apart from filling vacancies in various government departments, the government schemes led to the creation of 17 lakh jobs in the private sector. Do you want to destabilise the government for providing employment to the youth,” he questioned the opposition.
Speaking at a meeting, shortly after laying the foundation stone for Veeashaiva Lingayat Bhavan in Kandi mandal, Harish Rao said that Basaveshwara fought injustice and caste-based discrimination and worked for the freedom of women. He advocated unity among people, he pointed out.
The Minister assured the Lingayats that the Telangana government would support their demand for including their caste in Other Backward Classes. Telangana government recommended that Lingayats be included in the OBC list. He expressed the opinion that Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy and their party leaders should have taken up the cause of the Lingayats.
Harish assured the organisers that the government would grant the funds required for building Basava Bhavan. He recalled that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, in response to the appeal by Zaheerabad Lok Sabha member B B Patil, announced that Basaveswara’s birth anniversary would be celebrated officially. The British Prime Minister unveiled the Basava statue in front of Parliament House.
He recalled that the government had allotted one-acre land worth Rs 30 crore for Bhavan at Kokapet. Apart from it, the government would spend Rs 10 crore for the construction of the Bhavan, he said. A lift irrigation scheme, named after Basaveswara, was under construction in the undivided Medak district.
Zaheerabad Lok Sabha memebr B B Patil, Andole MLA Kranti, State Handloom Development Corportion Chainta Prabhakar, TSMSIDC chairman A Srinivas, DCMS chairman Sivakumra and others were present.
