KCR accuses Congress, BJP of delay in accordance of ST status to Valmiki Boyas

GADWAL: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of delay in accordance of Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to Valmiki and Boya communities in Telangana.

Addressing the ‘Praja Ashirvadha’ sabha in Gadwal on Monday, KCR said that a good number of people from Valmiki and Boya communities were residing in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. In the united Andhra Pradesh, the first Chief Minister Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy from the Congress ruined the life of Valmiki and Boya communities in Telangana by not including them in the ST category, he said.

KCR added that taking serious note of the matter, the Telangana Legislative Assembly passed a resolution twice recommending the Centre to include Valmiki Boya and certain other communities in the list of ST. In Andhra Pradesh, Valmiki Boyas were considered as STs, but in Telangana they were still under the Backward Classes (BC) category due to the inordinate delay by the BJP-led NDA Government in Centre even after the completion of nine years, he said.

KCR said that Gadwal had a prominent history and was located in between Rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra but was utterly neglected by the previous regimes. “The Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS), an irrigation project across River Tungabhadra in the Jogulamba Gadwal district was ruined by the Congress leaders in Telangana. Instead of fighting for the rights of Telangana, the Congress leaders here even accorded a grand welcome to the former APCC president N Raghu Veera Reddy who tried to divert the River Krishna water to Anantapur,” the BRS president said.

The Chief Minister mentioned that only a meager 20,000 acres were given water from the Jawahar Nettempadu Lift Irrigation Scheme (JNLIS) during the Congress regime. Now, after the BRS Government came to power, the JNLIS was capable of supplying water to around 1.60 lakh acres. Gadwal was prospering with greenery, he said. Gadwal MLA Krishna Mohan Reddy also sought water supply to Gattu mandal works related to the Gattu lift irrigation scheme were progressing at a brisk pace and would be completed soon, KCR added.

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, KCR said that the BJP Government at the Centre constructed 157 medical colleges across the country but not even a single college was given to Telangana. “Despite there being an Act that every new district should be allotted a Navodaya school. On several occasions, letters were written to the Prime Minister. Not even a single medical college and Navodaya school is allotted by the Centre to Gadwal. Why should people vote for the BJP?” he said.

Highlighting the development activities taken by the BRS Government in Jogulamba Gadwal district, the BRS president said, “The Government has accorded top priority to the region and declared Gadwal as district headquarters, besides constructing a District Collectorate building, medical college, nursing college, developing central lighting, integrated market, indoor stadium and renovation of bus station, which is a testament of Krishna Mohan Reddy’s commitment to the holistic development in the constituency.”

KCR added that a garden was being developed by the Telangana Tourism department near Jurala on the lines of Brindavan Gardens to provide a pleasant ambience for the people of the district.

KCR promises formation of Atmakur revenue division in next term

In a meeting in Makthal, the Chief Minister asserted that "Under the Congress and the TDP's reign, Sangambanda reservoir was kept aside and no project was developed. But after the BRS coming into power, many projects have been constructed and lakhs of acres of agricultural land is being cultivated."

He expressed happiness over Makhtal having the highest ayacut area in Telangana and said, "Today, greenery is spread across Makhtal."

"Many colleges have been established, a 100-bedded hospital is constructed and a huge development took place in the constituency under MLA Chittem Ram Mohan Reddy's leadership," said KCR.

KCR promised the formation of the Atmakur Revenue Division and said, "GO will be passed for the formation of Atmakur once BRS' Governance is formed in the State."