TRS asked to join Racha Banda

Indira Gandhi 20-point Economic Programme Chairman N Tulasi Reddy on Wednesday appealed to Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao to refrain from disrupting the proposed Racha Banda scheduled to begin from January 24, and instead join it for its successful launch in the rural areas.

Mr Tulasi Reddy pointed out that under Praja Patham programme, the state government solved various issues related people's problems for five years till 2010 and picking up thread from that programme, Racha Banda will similarly help solve problems faced by the poor besides allocating funds to meet their demands like pensions, housing, insurance, drinking water among others.

The TRS chose to disrupt such a programme is like denouncing the welfare measures being taken up by the government, Mr Tulasi Reddy told media persons at the Secretariat today.

He also condemned the attitude of the TRS chief, who gave a call to his cadre to disorganise the Racha Banda in all the 117 Telangana constituencies.

Mr Tulasi Reddy said that over five lakh eligible families from the under privileged class have been identified for issue of ration coupons apart from extending facilities under Arogyasri, Indiramma Housing, Pensions, insurance cover etc and the attempt by the government was praiseworthy.

With a view to taking spot decisions at their door-step the scheme has been specifically designed to cater to the needs of the poor. Its predecessor programme Praja Patham in 2010 saw issue of over 43,000 pensions, over 16,000 ration cards, disposal of 17,000 applications for housing, 15,000 applications for drinking water facilities and 11,000 applications for power etc, and in all over 1.49 lakh petitions were disposed off.

In the light of such welfare measures taken up successfully till 2010, the TRS must reconsider their decision and not put spokes in the welfare steps being taken up for the deserving poor , said Mr Tulasi Reddy and asked the TRS to join the programme for serving the poor people.