The Telangana government is set to launch the Gruha Jyothi Scheme in the first week of February. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has expedited the implementation of all six guaranteed schemes, aiming for their swift execution.
The Telangana Congress Government, headed by Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, is set to kick off its commitment to provide 200 units of free electricity per month to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households starting in February, as announced on Tuesday.
This announcement follows increased criticism from the main Opposition party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), regarding the delay in implementing the ruling party’s six guarantees. On January 20, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao urged people not to pay their electricity bills until the promised free electricity for BPL households was delivered, as pledged by the Congress party in the Assembly elections.
Rama Rao even encouraged individuals to send their current bills to Sonia Gandhi’s residence, citing a statement made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during the election campaign that Sonia Gandhi would cover the bills once the Congress assumed power.
A meeting of the Manifesto Committee of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) took place in Hyderabad to assess the progress of promise fulfillment. AICC incharge Deepa Dasmunshi, All India Professionals’ Congress Chairman Praveen Chakravarty, and other leaders attended the meeting.
Afterward, Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy assured that the Telangana Government would fulfill all electoral promises. He announced the implementation of free power up to 200 units starting in February, reiterating the commitment to execute all six guarantees within 100 days. He attributed the delay to the financial challenges inherited from the previous BRS Government led by KCR.
Responding to BRS leaders’ criticisms, Reddy pointed out the BRS’s failure to fulfill promises, ranging from unemployment allowances to providing two-bedroom houses. He accused the BRS of attempting to incite the public, asserting that if the Congress had done the same, BRS leaders would have faced consequences.
Sridhar Babu, Minister for Information Technology and Industries and Chairman of the Manifesto Committee, emphasized that the Congress party presented the best manifesto before elections. He highlighted achievements such as providing free travel for women in TSRTC buses and doubling the coverage under the Arogyasri scheme from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh, all of which were swiftly implemented after coming to power.
Babu defended the government against opposition criticism, stating that they were rushing to criticize without considering the overall progress and commitment to fulfilling promises. He reaffirmed that the Telangana Government is dedicated to implementing all promised initiatives.