Tag: KTR

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KTR calls CM Revanth Reddy an ‘honest cheater’

He criticised CM Reddy for his statement on family politics while questioning the roots of Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, among others…reports Asian Lite News

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and MLA KT Rama Rao hit out at Telangana Chief Minister A Revath Reddy over his promises before assuming office while calling him an ‘honest cheater’.

“Congress government came to power, and the BJP MLA won in Kamareddy by telling lies, false promises, and false propaganda. Revanth Reddy had openly said that people wish to be cheated, and cheating is inevitable. Though he is a cheater, he is an honest cheater. He said he would cheat, and he did the same,” KTR said while addressing a party meeting at Kamareddy constituency on Sunday.

“He said many things, like he would waive off loans on Dec 9. It is already March 9 but the loans have not been waived off. He also promised 1 Tula gold for women getting married but did not fulfil it. The 100 days will be completed on March 17. He promised farmers a Rs 500 bonus per quintal. The harvest is here. I demand Revanth Reddy give it before the election code is declared,” he added.

The BRS leader also dared the Chief Minister to fulfil the promises.

“Recently, in a meeting in Mahabubnagar, he said that he goes around with a pair of scissors in his pocket. Whoever goes around with a pair of scissors in their pocket, pickpocketers do. Will a CM do that? When you are a CM, talk like a CM. I challenge Revanth Reddy to fulfil his promises if he has the guts,” he said.

He criticised CM Reddy for his statement on family politics while questioning the roots of Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, among others.

“Recently, Revanth said that he did not come into politics by invoking his father’s name. What about Rahul Gandhi, Sridhar Babu, Damodar Raja Narasimha, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, and Bhatti Vikramarka, who came into politics because of their families? My father’s name is K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). I entered politics during the movement and won as MLA five times. I did not take wrongful paths or change parties like you. My father is the leader of the Telangana movement. KCR is Telangana Bapu,” KTR remarked.

“I challenged Revanth to resign from his respective seats in Sircilla and Kodangal and contest in Malkajgiri, but he has not responded till now. Revanth should stop his petty talks and start behaving like a CM,” he added.

KTR further accused the Congress-led state government of the water scarcity in the state.

Referring to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, KTR said, “Kaleswaram is not a single barrage. It has 3 barrages, 15 reservoirs, 21 pump houses, 19 substations, 270 tunnels, and more. Kaleswaram lifts 2 TMC ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water every day. Medigadda is a barrage with a length of 1.6 km. It has 85 pillars, out of which 2-3 pillars face an issue.”

“Did the Chief Minister not get time to repair 3 pillars in 3 months? If it is repaired and the water is pumped, isn’t there a chance of stopping the farmlands from drying? This is not a scarcity brought by the season but by Congress,” the BRS leader added. (ANI)

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TRS hires I-PAC ahead of polls

TRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao did not agree that there will be conflict of interest as PK is planning to join the Congress…reports Asian Lite News

Amid Prashant Kishor’s discussions with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for second consecutive day on Sunday, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Sunday confirmed that it has signed a deal with Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) founded by the election strategist.

During an interaction with a select group of journalists, TRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao confirmed that the TRS is working with I-PAC but claimed that this has nothing to do with Kishor. “PK (as Kishor is popularly known) is the founder but I don’t know who is running it. PK introduced us to I-PAC and it is working with us,” he said.

He said PK has disassociated himself from I-PAC which is working with multiple parties across the country. “It’s not just PK we had interactions with. We had multiple iterations of discussions with several others. We spoke to Sunil and others. I-PAC is what we narrowed down to.”

The TRS leader, however, was evasive on whether the agreement is only for 2023 Assembly polls or 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the nature of discussions they are holding with PK. “If a gentleman who is into politics, who is into advisory or helpful roles in other places, offers you some inputs, would you not take them?” he asked.

KTR, as Rama Ro is known, did not agree that there will be conflict of interest as PK is planning to join the Congress. “Has he joined Congress? Isn’t it hypothetical, right now. I don’t know whether he is joining or not,” said KTR, who is the son of KCR.

He dismissed the possibility of the TRS approaching Congress. “Why will we approach Congress. Where is Congress? Rahul Gandhi can’t win his own seat, how will he make others win. Someone who can’t win his own constituency or state, how will he win other states and the country,” he asked.

KTR, however, said the TRS will win elections on its own and I-PAC will just supplement it. “If we don’t have public support, they can’t save us. They will just supplement. PK or some outsider can’t save a sinking ship. If you are on the right path, your efforts can be augmented, majorities can improve, number of seats can improve and certain sections of the population can be connected which otherwise would not have connected.”

“All these strategists can only augment or complement your efforts. To overstress or overemphasise that I-PAC or political strategist will win you an election or PK or somebody made Mamata ji (Mamata Banerjee) or Stalin ji (M.K. Stalin) Chief Minister is exaggeration,” he added.

The TRS leader said that if his party has to come back stronger in 2023, it will have to do it on its own strengths and merits. “Anybody else is only going to augment. You are overemphasising or overstressing on extraneous factors. I-PAC is an extraneous institution which will only give inputs.”

He explained that I-PAC will help reach people in the age group of 18-30 as the party needs different mediums and different forms of communication. He pointed out that digital media has become an important platform and the TRS doesn’t want to miss out on it.

KTR was evasive to questions about the possibility of TRS working with the Congress for evolving a national alternative.

“I am not an astrologer to say what will happen six months from now,” KTR said when asked if TRS would be working with Congress for Lok Sabha elections.

He said that the TRS plenary to be held on April 27 to mark 21st foundation day of the party will decide its approach to national-level politics and its stand on national issues. The day-long plenary will also decide how to win elections in Telangana for the third time.

On anti-incumbency, KTR said that it is extremely natural. He said any government which is in power will have to go through it and it is not just confined to the TRS. He was confident that people will give a fresh mandate to the TRS on the basis of the governance it provided during the last 8-9 years and what it delivered.

He exuded confidence that KCR will re-write history to lead the TRS to third consecutive poll victory, a record in south India.

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‘Modi supporting Godse’s ideology’

KTR, as the TRS leader and Telangana minister is popularly known, was interacting with a select group of journalists here on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” on the incidents of communal disharmony happening across the country and alleged that he is directly supporting the ideology of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.

Reiterating what Jignesh Mevani said about Modi, the TRS leader dared the Modi government to arrest him like the Gujarat MLA was arrested by the Assam Police.

“I am of the firm opinion that this Prime Minister actually, tacitly and directly endorses and supports the ideology of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation,” said Rama Rao while describing Godse as independent India’s first terrorist.

KTR, as the TRS leader and Telangana minister is popularly known, was interacting with a select group of journalists here on Sunday.

“As the Prime Minister, if you endorse Godse’s ideology, if you do not condemn your party MPs, who openly in full public glare, celebrate Godse, what am I to make out of it,” he asked.

KTR also slammed Modi for silence on the incidents of communal disharmony. “So many incidents are happening across the country where certain sections of the society feel threatened and insecure. How come the Prime Minister doesn’t utter a word when all this is happening in full public glare. There is a saying: what you permit is what you promote. If you are permitting by staying mum, aren’t you promoting it? You are the Prime Minister of the country and not just the leader of BJP and an RSS ideologue. I am entitled to say this and if it makes it a culpable offence, so be it,” dared KTR, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

“We have been arrested in the past. If they want to arrest, let them arrest,” he added.

KTR did not agree that there is a rise of BJP in the country, remarking that rabble rousing is the easiest thing to do especially with 24×7 electronic media and so many digital mediums all around.

“I don’t see the rise of BJP. There is a rise of inflation and unemployment. Unemployment is the highest in 45 years, I want to talk about it. Inflation is the highest in 30 years,” said the TRS leader.

KTR, however, lamented that diversionary tactics are winning in the country today. “Focus should be on job and not hijabs. We will not talk of halal or jhatka. We want debate on real issues. It’s not a big deal if a leader’s chest grows to 56 inch. Every poor’s chest should be 56 inch,” he said, taking a swipe at Modi.

He said the TRS wanted to expose BJP’s failed model and project the golden model of Telangana before the country.

He exuded confidence that the successful model of Telangana will set the agenda at the national level. He called it an integrated and holistic model of Telangana vis-a-vis the “golmaal” model of Gujarat which was used by Modi to win the 2014 polls.

KTR remarked that Congress is tried and tested for 50 years and now dusted. “Inspite of Prashant Kishor or anybody, I don’t see a great deal of hope for Congress.”

He is of the view that all political parties in the country are regional parties with the BJP being a relatively larger regional party followed by Congress

“In South India, except in Karnataka, where the BJP is. In Telangana, they won four MPs. It’s an aberration. They have not been consistent in terms of their performances anywhere in South India,” he said.

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KTR slams Centre on fuel price rise

He termed as “pure lies” the reasons cited by the Modi government for not controlling prices…reports Asian Lite News

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday wrote an open letter to the Central government, blaming its “inefficient policies” for the steep hike in fuel prices.

“On the one hand, the BJP Government at the Centre is constantly raising prices. But, on the other hand, it is trying to push the blame on state governments. This is blatant lying and totally unacceptable. That is why I am writing this letter to expose the inefficient policies of the Central Government which have inflated petrol rates in an unforeseen manner,” he said.

“When he was in opposition, Narendra Modi shed crocodile tears over the sufferings of the poor and the plight of common people. However, he has been ruling the nation, completely ignoring the welfare of the people since he came to power. From the earliest days of Narendra Modi’s swearing-in as the Prime Minister, the Central government has been making the country’s people suffer with its incompetence and inefficient economic policies. The main reason behind my criticism is that petrol rates are rising daily without any control and the prices of essentials are skyrocketing,” wrote KTR, as the TRS leader is popularly known.

He termed as “pure lies” the reasons cited by the Modi government for not controlling prices.

Modi

“BJP leaders are simply narrating stories, such as the problems in the international crude oil supply, the rise in crude oil prices, and the Russia-Ukraine war. But all this is not true. Union ministers who say prices are rising in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and even France are deliberately hiding that the per litre petrol rate there is lower than ours. The petro products are still available at cheaper rates in some of our neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka, which is reeling under the financial crisis.”

When the BJP government took office in 2014, the international price of crude oil was about $105. After that, due to various reasons, crude oil prices came down to below $40 a barrel at one stage. However, the BJP government has continued to raise petrol prices in the country, pointed out KTR, who is also the state’s Information Technology and Industries Minister.

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KTR says Telangana model can be replicated across India

KTR stated that the schemes and policies being executed in Telangana should be executed across the country to speed up the development wheel of India….reports Asian Lite News

Telangana’s minister for information technology and industry K. T. Rama Rao has described the state as the most successful startup and said Telangana model of development can be replicated across India.

The minister delivered a keynote address at the Harvard India Conference 2022 held virtually late Sunday.

During the one-hour-long session, he highlighted the all-round development of Telangana, the Hyderabad IT ecosystem, friendly industrial policies, and investment opportunities existing in the state.

Minister KTR spoke at the conference under the theme “Turbocharging India @ 2030. “If I want to talk about Turbocharging India @ 2030, I should speak about Turbocharging Telangana since 2014,” the Minister said in his opening lines.

“By 2030, I want to witness an India that leads the world, in almost every category. I strongly believe that cues for “Turbocharging India@ 2030: can be had from “Turbocharged Telangana since 2014,a said KTR.

KTR stated that the schemes and policies being executed in Telangana should be executed across the country to speed up the development wheel of India. “What Telangana has done, can be done at the national level too. Telangana Model of Development can be replicated across India, for sure,” said KTR.

Pic credits Twitter @MinisterKTR

“Growth should be distributed fairly across society and create opportunities for all. I think that any one-sided policy emphasis will have negative effects. Diversity is India’s greatest asset. The same diversity requires the widening of policy frameworks beyond the narrow focus,” the minister opined.

KTR stated that the Telangana government’s effective policy design & implementation, equal focus on rural and urban development, vision towards 3 I’s — infrastructure development, inclusive growth and innovation — that helped the youngest state of India achieve remarkable progress in just 7 years.

Telangana has been progressing under the visionary leadership of CM KCR. The Telangana government’s equal focus on development and welfare measures has made it a model state which is being emulated by other states, KTR said. “It used to be said earlier that what Bengal thinks today is what the country thinks tomorrow, but in the modern context it is what Telangana thinks today which influences the country tomorrow,” he added.

KTR stated that Telangana achieved the third rank in the country in terms of percentage increase in GSDP at current prices between 2014-15 and 2020-21. “The NITI Aayog report says that the Gross State Domestic Product of Telangana by provisional estimates was Rs 9.80 lakh crore, an increase of 94 per cent from its 2014-15 value,” he added.

Minister KTR highlighted that despite the Covid-induced economic slowdown in 2020-21, Telangana’s Per Capita Income (PCI) of Rs 2.37 lakh at current pricing is the third highest in the country — the latest data from the Union ministry of statistics and program implementation.

“Telangana is the 11th largest state in terms of geographical area and 12th in terms of population in the country. I am proud of the fact that Telangana stood in fourth place in contributing to the economy of the country,” KTR said.

The state government’s focus on every sector — from agriculture to IT, power generation to industry, health infrastructure to quality education has brought in remarkable progress in the state.

He pointed out that Telangana attracted over Rs 2.2 lakh crore investments since the launch of its innovative TS-iPASS industrial policy. These investments employed about 16 lakh people.

The minister highlighted that Hyderabad has emerged as a global hub for some of the most marquee names from the IT world. “You will be amazed to learn that the five most valued tech companies of the world, namely Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook, each of them has their second-largest presence anywhere in the world outside their headquarters in the US in our city of Hyderabad,” KTR said.

“The cabins of the US President’s ‘Marine One’ helicopters are made in Hyderabad by Tata Sikorsky Aerospace Systems, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Sikorsky,” said the minister. He also highlighted that Hyderabad produces one-third of global vaccine output. “I take immense pride in saying that Hyderabad is the vaccine capital of the world,” he added.

He highlighted that seven villages from Telangana ranked among the top 10 under the SAGY program (Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana of Union Ministry of Rural Development).

He told the conference that Telangana is building the Kakatiya Mega Textiles Factory (KMTP), one of the world’s largest Textile Parks. KMTP is expected to house state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities with a development strategy based on the ‘Fiber to Fashion’ concept.

“IT exports of Telangana touched a new high of Rs 1.45 lakh crore in 2021. Since the formation of Telangana, we have been able to achieve a Compound Average Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.25 per cent, up from Rs 57,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 1.45 lakh crore now. Employment in the IT/ITeS sector had also increased by eight per cent to touch 6.3 lakhs.”

KTR stated that the government of Telangana is developing Hyderabad Pharma City as the “World’s largest integrated pharma park to promote domestic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and to consolidate the leadership position of India in the pharmaceutical sector.

“Telangana has already built the world’s largest lift irrigation scheme, Kaleshwaram Project, in just three years. This is a record in the history of irrigation projects in India,” he said.

“Rythu Bandhu, the investment support scheme under which every landholding farmer gets Rs 10,000 per acre every year. The brainchild of CM Sri KCR, this revolutionary is one of the best reforms in the agriculture sector in the country since Independence,” KTR added.

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KTR to address Paris Senate

Pic credits IANS

The delegation led by KTR will also meet French industrialists and CEOs of various companies to invite investments to Telangana….reports Asian Lite News

 Telangana Information Technology and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday left for France to address the ‘Ambition India Business Forum’.

He will deliver the keynote address at the business event scheduled to be held on October 29, at the French Senate in Paris.

KTR is leading a delegation that includes Principal Secretary, IT and Industries, Jayesh Ranjan and other officials.

This is KTR’s first visit abroad since Covid-19 pandemic broke out last year.

Pic credits Twitter @MinisterKTR

He will also meet French industrialists and CEOs of various companies to invite investments to Telangana.

The French government invited the minister to address the Forum.

Ambassador of France Emmanuel Lenain had sent a letter to the minister a few days ago. “We believe it creates a great momentum between France and India and would provide a good occasion to promote the State of Telangana. I would hence like to invite you to participate in person in Ambition India 2021, as a keynote speaker after the roundtable ‘Growth: Drafting the future of Indo-French relations in a post-Covid era’,” the ambassador wrote.

“It would be an honour for us to welcome you at the French Senate and organise high-level meetings for you with the French investors,” he added.

KTR had expressed happiness over receiving the invitation and stated that this would be a great global platform to highlight the investment opportunities existing in Telangana.

As part of the Forum, there will be several round tables on doing business in India, healthcare, climate, digital transformation as well as agribusiness. B2B meetings between French and Indian companies are also scheduled during the event.

The business event organised under the patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron aims to foster trade and investment relations between France and India. It enables companies to be aware of the challenges of the Indian market as well as learn more about investment opportunities through updates on the Indian government’s economic policies and regulatory specificities.

During the previous Ambition India edition, the Forum hosted 700 participants virtually, spread over two sessions with more than 400 companies online, eager to know more about bilateral cooperation.

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