Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has completed two years in office during the second term which was marked by disruption due to nearly nine months of Covid induced pandemic bringing about forced changes and also impacting the State economy.

Coinciding with the second anniversary, he visited Delhi during the weekend, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several of his Cabinet colleagues, including Amit Shah, Hardeep Singh Puri, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, seeking the Central government support and requesting them to honour the commitments made as a part of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

During the meeting with Modi, he handed over 22 representations, including release of Central funds.

Welfare programmes

The KCR administration was marked by focus on welfare programmes including the Rythu Bandhu Crop assistance that was increased from ₹8,000-₹10,000 per acre from 2019 rainy season where 56 lakh farmers befitted. This entailed an expenditure of ₹12,000 crore per year. And the Rythu Bhima Policy continued despite increase in premium from ₹2,271-₹3,556.

In the first phase, 5.88 lakh farmers’ loans, which are below ₹25,000, were waived. It covered total loans of ₹25,936 crore where 40.66 lakh farmers benefitted.

Kaleshwaram project

On June 21, 2019, the CM inaugurated the Kaleswaram project aimed at making the Telangana state fertile, providing water for irrigation, drinking water and industrial purposes. Eighty lakh acres are are poised to get irrigation water from the project.

From January 1, 2018, 25 lakh agriculture pump sets are being given free, quality 24x7 power supply. The State brought about reforms in registration aimed at streamlining the system and moving all transactions to online process.

As a part of long term plan it is proposed to link the Musi River with Godavari.

The retirement age of RTC employees has been increased from 58 to 60 years.

While Amazon started its biggest Campus in the city in January 2020, it has announced plan to invest ₹20,760 crore in November 2020. The revival of Sirpur Paper Mill was initiated in February 2019.

EV Policy

In October, it announced the Electric Vehicles policy. Thus far pemissions were given to 14,000 industries and investments of ₹2 lakh crore came in. State IT exports surpassed the national average. In 2018-19 and 2019-20, in two years, the State logged ₹2.38 lakh crore IT exports.

One of the important proposals of reducing the retirement age of employees from 60 to 57 years is under consideration.

While welfare measures have taken roots, the overall development in 2020 has taken a hit due to nearly nine months of disruption due to Covid pandemic. With tax collections and finances taking a hit, the investment cycle in long term capital projects has been adversely hit. The completion of the two bedroom housing project is being eagerly awaited.

The recent handling of floods in Hyderabad has come in for sharp criticism from the opposition parties.

The setback in the Dubbaka Assembly byelections and BJP making significant inroads in the GHMC polls seems to be some cause for concern for the TRS Chief on the poitical front.

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