In a recent public meeting held in Asifabad, Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his support for the demands of sarpanches (village heads) from bordering villages in Maharashtra. These sarpanches have demanded either a merger with Telangana or the implementation of welfare schemes provided in the southern state. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, led by Rao, has been receiving an overwhelming response from the people of Maharashtra, further emphasizing the demand for closer ties between the two states.
During the public meeting, Chief Minister Rao highlighted Telangana’s achievements, asserting that it ranks as the number one state in the country in terms of per capita income and the supply of piped drinking water to households. He also emphasized the various welfare schemes introduced by the state government, such as the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ investment support scheme and free power for farmers.
Addressing the concern raised by the opposition Congress party regarding the abolition of Dharani, the state government’s integrated land management system, Rao argued that such a move would reintroduce middlemen into the system, adversely affecting the interests of the farmers.
The Chief Minister further expressed confidence that the BRS party would regain power in the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled to be held later this year.
Earlier in the day, at the District Collectorate, Rao launched the distribution of ‘podu’ land documents to tribal beneficiaries. Notably, the land documents were being granted in the names of women beneficiaries, and non-tribal farmers would receive the ‘podu’ land documents after the completion of due process as per relevant rules.
Highlighting the significance of this initiative, Chief Minister Rao informed that approximately 1.50 lakh farmers would gain the right to cultivate over four lakh acres of ‘podu’ lands across the state. Furthermore, the cases filed against ‘podu’ farmers for occupying forest lands in the past would be withdrawn.
Rao also emphasized that beneficiaries who received ‘podu’ land documents would also be entitled to the benefits of the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme, further strengthening the government’s commitment to supporting farmers.
Additionally, the Chief Minister commended the efforts made to address the healthcare challenges faced by tribal residents in forest areas. With the provision of clean drinking water and improvements in medical facilities, the issue of viral fevers in these areas has been successfully mitigated.
(Inputs from news agency PTI)
The Chenab Times News Desk