The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) marked the one-year anniversary of Congress governance in Telangana by releasing a scathing ‘chargesheet’ on December 8, alleging widespread failures under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The BRS accused the Congress of falling short on its six key guarantees, which were the centerpiece of its election manifesto.
The chargesheet was released on December 8, amid the Congress government’s ‘Praja Palana Vijayotsavalu’ from December 1 to 9, to mark the first anniversary of the Revanth Reddy government. During the celebrations, the Congress has claimed that it has made huge strides, particularly in ensuring farmers’ welfare and employment, over the past year.
The Congress had pledged six guarantees before coming to power: the Mahalakshmi scheme, which promised a Rs 2,500 monthly honorarium for women, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free RTC bus travel; the Rythu Bharosa scheme, which promised Rs 15,000 per acre to both farmers and tenant farmers; Gruha Jyothi, which assured 200 units of free electricity per household; Indiramma Indlu, which committed to providing 250-square-yard plots for movement fighters; Yuva Vikasam, which promised Vidya Bharosa cards worth Rs 5 lakh for students; and Cheyutha, which aimed to provide Rs 4,000 monthly pensions for the elderly.
The BRS alleged that the Congress had failed to deliver on most of these promises. They criticised the government for failing to provide the Rs 2,500 monthly payment to women under the Mahalakshmi scheme, describing it as a “massive betrayal.”
While free travel for women on RTC buses has been implemented, other promises such as distributing one gram of gold and Bathukamma sarees remain unfulfilled, they said.
They also alleged that the Rythu Bharosa scheme has not benefited farmers as promised, with loan waivers yet to materialize and incentives delayed, they said.
Read: As Telangana govt marks ‘Rythu Panduga’, activists demand justice for tenant farmers
In the area of employment, the BRS accused the Congress government of not recruiting 2 lakh vacancies in government posts, as promised. They described the announced increase in Group 2 posts from 2,000 to 3,000 as misleading and alleged that the job calendar released by the government was a sham.
The chargesheet further criticised the Congress for what it called stalled development in the state. It pointed to the struggles of farmers and claimed that the government’s policies have caused widespread distress.
The BRS also highlighted health and safety concerns in government schools, stating that 49 students have died and 906 of them have been hospitalised over the past year due to food poisoning from substandard meals.
The BRS accused the Congress government of inefficiency and a lack of accountability, arguing that the state’s progress has been hampered by poor governance and unfulfilled promises.