Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 20 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government in Telangana of taking credit for development projects initiated by the previous BRS administration and questioned its borrowing and development record.
Addressing the BRS Malkajgiri General Body meeting in Hyderabad, Rama Rao said the Congress government was inaugurating projects built during the tenure of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).
"While Congress failed to build a single new hospital in Hyderabad in 65 years, KCR constructed four 1,000-bed TIMS facilities and expanded NIMS. Today, the Chief Minister is just roaming around with scissors, cutting ribbons and taking credit for flyovers, double-bedroom houses and hospitals built by the BRS," he said.
Defending the borrowing undertaken during the BRS government, Rama Rao said the loans were utilised for infrastructure development, welfare schemes and addressing long-standing issues in the state.
"Yes, KCR took a loan, but he used it to permanently solve the state's power crisis, provide free drinking water, revolutionise healthcare and increase pensions from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000," he said.
The BRS leader further said the funds were invested in major projects, including the Kaleshwaram, drinking water supply schemes, and educational institutions.
"KCR took a loan to build Kaleshwaram, provide tap water to every home, establish Gurukul schools and medical colleges, and provide electricity subsidies," Rama Rao said.
He also alleged that the Congress government had borrowed significantly more in a shorter period without delivering comparable development outcomes.
"KCR took a loan of Rs 2.8 lakh crore over ten years, but the Congress government has taken Rs 4 lakh crore in loans in just two and a half years, yet has not shown a single piece of development or built a single house," he alleged.
Earlier, Rao on Thursday visited the Swami Ramananda Tirtha Memorial School in Hyderabad and participated in a welfare programme, where he distributed notebooks and school bags to students and launched a mid-day meal initiative organised under the Talasani Trust.
According to an official release, during the visit, KTR interacted with students and teachers and highlighted the importance of quality education along with nutritional support. He also assured full support for strengthening school infrastructure, including the construction of additional classrooms and a modern library.