Telangana’s Ambitious Promises: KCR Unveils Election Manifesto

Hyderabad(Oct, 15) : As the Telangana assembly elections draw closer, the political landscape is buzzing with activity. The Congress party wasted no time, revealing the names of its candidates for the upcoming polls on the same day. Meanwhile, K. Chandrashekhar Rao, the leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Chief Minister of Telangana, unveiled his ambitious election manifesto.

These are some of the key promises and initiatives 

1. Soubhagyalakshmi Scheme: All eligible poor women will receive ₹3,000 per month.
2. Gas Cylinder Subsidy: Gas cylinders will be provided at ₹400 to all eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
3. Aasara Pensions: Aasara pensions will be increased to ₹5,000. In the first year, it will be increased to ₹3,000 and then increased by ₹500 every year. This is similar to the approach used by YS Jagan in Andhra Pradesh.
4. PWD Pensions: Pensions for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) will be increased by ₹6,000.
5. KCR Aarogya Raksha Scheme: The ArogyaSri Bhima Scheme coverage will be increased to ₹15 lakh, providing health insurance.
6. Rythu Bandhu Scheme: The Rythu Bandhu agricultural support scheme will be increased to ₹16,000 per acre annually, starting with ₹11,000, with an increase of ₹1,000 per year.
7. KCR Bhima Prathi Intiki Dheema: This is a ₹5 lakh insurance scheme for all BPL cardholders. The government will pay 100% of the premium through LIC.
8. Housing for Hyderabad City: 1 lakh 2BHK houses will be built, and the Gruha Lakshmi scheme will be provided for those without land.
9. Residential Schools: 119 residential schools will be established for economically backward students.
10. Minority Junior Colleges: Conversion of minority junior colleges into residential colleges.
11. Mahila Swashakti Groups: Own buildings will be provided for Mahila Swashakti Groups.
12. Orphan Policy: An orphan policy of the Telangana government will be implemented in the next term, treating orphans as State Children.
13. Assigned Lands: Efforts will be made to remove restrictions on assigned lands.
14. CPS to OPS Pensions: A committee of senior officials will study the conversion of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees.
15. Telangana Annapurna Scheme: Every household with a ration card will receive rice (Sanna Biyyam), which is expected to be implemented by June.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Congress Party, in a swift move, disclosed the names of its candidates, announcing a total of 55 out of 119 assembly seats, while BRS had previously released the names of 115 candidates back in August, setting the stage for an intriguing electoral contest.