Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday said the state government is according utmost priority to the handloom sector and developing it.

He made these remarks on the occasion of National Handloom Day, noting that Telangana’s exclusive handloom craft mirrors Indian art and culture.

“Under self-governance, the government is giving utmost priority to the handloom sector and developing it in tune with the changed times, the government is also extending a helping hand to the powerloom workers welfare,” said Rao.

With visionary approach and able administration of Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao, the Chief Minister said the handloom sector which collapsed under united AP rule is being revived within a short time.

“The government has taken several measures to promote handloom products; the measures taken by the government for the handloom sector have weaned away handloom workers from committing suicide and instill confidence among them,” said the CM.

According to Rao, weavers’ families are given assurance for their livelihood through Bathukamma and other programmes, including creating confidence and self-respect among them.

Commemorating the handloom day, the state government is honouring handloom artisans by giving away awards under the name of Konda Laxman Bapuji.

“The government is encouraging handloom sector by organizing exhibitions and fashion shows insurance facilities for handloom workers shall be implemented on par with the Rythu Bandhu,” said Rao.

The CM asserted that Telangana is the only state which is giving pensions to handloom workers, highlighting that its innovative schemes can be ideal for other states.

“The government is successfully implementing several schemes for the handloom workers like loan waiver scheme, Nethannalaku Cheyutha, Chenetha Mithra and also providing government share to the handloom societies and providing subsidies for yarn, dyes and chemicals,” said Rao.

Expressing happiness over the positive results of these initiatives, the CM said the state has promoted the socio-economic, political and administrative interests of the Padmashali community.

The crop loan waiver scheme was one of the main poll promises of TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao during 2018 Assembly polls.

He promised to waive off crop loans up to Rs 1 lakh if TRS is voted to power again. TRS won 2018 Assembly polls but failed to waive off crop loans even after more than two-and-a-half years.

Last year, the government waived off loans up to Rs 25,000 in first phase.

In the second phase now, loans up to Rs 50,000 are being waived off.

The Telangana government today issued GO sanctioning Rs 2,006 crore to waive off crop loans of 6 lakh farmers who owe loans from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 each.

The amount will be credited in the bank accounts of farmers directly from August 16 to 31.

Even after, the government still have to waive off loans up to Rs 75,000 in the third phase and up to Rs 1 lakh in the last phase which may be done in the next two years till 2023 December Assembly polls.

Finance minister T Harish Rao today held meeting with bankers asking them not to adjust crop loan waiver amount for any other arrears of farmers after the government credits the amount in their bank accounts.

The Telangana government on Thursday began implementation of its ambitious ‘Telangana Dalit Bandhu’ scheme with the release of Rs 7.60 crore to extend financial assistance to 76 Dalit families in Vasalamarri village of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.

A day after Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao visited his adopted village and interacted with Dalit families, the government issued an order for implementation of the scheme.

The Government Order (GO) issued by the Scheduled Castes development department permitted Telangana Scheduled Castes Co-Operative Development Corporation (TSCCDC) to release Rs 7.60 crore to the district collector for implementation of the programme for the benefit of around 76 Dalit households in Vasalamarri gram panchayat of Alair Assembly constituency.

The chief minister during his visit to the village on Wednesday announced that 76 SC families in the village will be benefited under the scheme. He said Rs 10 lakh will be deposited in the bank account of each beneficiary family from Thursday. He said the beneficiaries would be free to spend the money the way they want but advised them to use it to create a source of revenue.

During the interaction, he asked the people what would they do with Rs 10 lakh. Some told the CM that they would set up a dairy farm, some would buy tractors and some would do business.

Though the State Cabinet last week decided to implement the scheme on a pilot basis in Huzurabad Assembly constituency from August 16, the programme has now been rolled out from Alair constituency.

KCR’s earlier move had come under criticism from opposition parties and non-governmental organizations as by-elections are likely to be held in Huzurabad soon.

The seat fell vacant last month with the resignation of former minister Eatala Rajender. He also quit Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rajender’s resignation from the TRS and the Assembly came after he was dropped from the Cabinet by KCR following allegations of land encroachment.

The opposition parties had termed the scheme a political stunt. Forum for Good Governance, a non-governmental organization urged the Election Commission of India to stop implementation of Dalit Bandhu in Huzurabad saying it was clearly aimed to lure the voters. Some activists have also moved the high court challenging the implementation of the pilot project in Huzurabad.

The government said that Dalit Bandhu scheme is aimed at providing financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to each of the identified Dalit families and to promote entrepreneurship among them.

KCR said that with the financial assistance given under the scheme, the Dalit community should develop itself as a business community by selecting industries, employment, and business of their choice.

Under the first phase, 100 families from each of the 119 Assembly constituencies will be identified. The government has announced allocation of Rs 1,200 crore for the scheme.

The chief minister said his government was ready to spend even Rs 1 lakh crore for the scheme. He exuded confidence that the scheme will become a torch bearer for the Dalit community in the entire country.

For the past one month, Telangana politics are revolving around Huzurabad Assembly by poll and Dalit Bandhu scheme.

TRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao wants to win this poll by defeating his friend-turned-foe at any cost.

For that reason, he devised Dalit Bandhu scheme and announced to launch it in Huzurabad on August 16 to transfer Rs 20 lakh cash to each of the 20,000 dalit families to woo 40,000 dalit voters who are a majority in constituency. He sanctioned Rs 2,000 crores for this scheme.

But KCR yesterday (Wednesday) launched Dalit Bandhu in his adopted village Vasalamarri all of a sudden without any prior intimation. He sanctioned Rs 7.60 crore to all 76 dalit families in village. Each dalit family will receive Rs 10 lakh each in their bank accounts today (Thursday).

Why KCR chose Vasalamarri instead of Huzurabad?

Political circles see a big strategy behind this.

The Election Commission has received several complaints against Dalit Bandhu being launched only in Huzurabad where bypoll is to be held soon.

KCR fears that EC may stop this scheme until by poll is over and to escape from EC’s action, KCR made it ongoing scheme by launching it in Vasalamarri.

Now, KCR can claim that Dalit Bandhu is not a new scheme but an ongoing scheme and implement the scheme in Huzurabad during bypoll and believes that EC can stop only new schemes and not ongoing schemes.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday slammed the Centre for its anti-Telangana stand on river waters.

Reacting for the first time to Jal Shakti Ministry’s gazette notification on river management boards, he said the Centre was adopting anti-Telangana stand.

The chief minister also hit out at Andhra Pradesh saying it was resorting to ‘Dadagiri’ and constructing unauthorised irrigation projects on Krishna River without valid permissions.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, was addressing a public meeting at Haliya in Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency.

He made it clear that Telangana will not give up its share of river waters. The state government is taking steps to ensure that farmers do not face any troubles due to lack of Krishna river waters in future.

This was his first reaction after Jal Shakti Ministry issued a gazette notification on July 15 bringing 107 irrigation projects on both Krishna and Godavari rivers under the jurisdiction of river management boards.

The gazette notification finalizing the jurisdiction of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) will come into effect from October 14, 2021.

Following the Centre’s move, both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will have no powers on the major and medium irrigation projects in their respective states.

KCR said that the government would divert Godavari River waters from Palair to Pedda Devulapalli tank near Nagarjuna Sagar to meet the irrigation requirements of Nagarjuna Sagar ayacut, which is in the Krishna River basin.

The public meeting was organised to thank the people of Nagarjuna Sagar constituency for electing Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidate Nomula Bhagat in the recent by-election.

The TRS chief reiterated his commitment to complete all 15 lift irrigation schemes sanctioned for erstwhile Nalgonda district, within next year-and-half.

KCR announced Rs 150 crore for development of the Assembly constituency and also allocated Rs 15 crore each for development of Nandikonda and Haliya municipalities.

Stating that Haliya is lagging in development, he promises to ensure development of the town. He assured people that a degree college and a mini stadium will be built in the town.

KCR also announced several other measures for the development of the constituency.

He reiterated that ‘Dalit Bandhu’ scheme will be implemented at any cost. He said the government was ready to spend even Rs 1 lakh crore for the scheme, which will become a role model for development of the Scheduled Castes in the entire country.

Of the around 16 lakh to 17 lakh SC families in the state, around 12 lakh to 13 lakh families will get Rs 10 lakh each under ‘Dalit Bandhu’. He said steps were being taken to select 100 beneficiary SC families in each Assembly constituency.

The Telangana state cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday night took several key decisions on various issues.

The cabinet decided to waive off crop loans up to Rs 50,000 of over 6 lakh farmers as part of second phase of implementation of Rs 1 lakh crop loan waiver scheme for over 30 lakh farmers. The amount will be released from August 16 to 31.

KCR promised to waive off crop loans up to Rs 1 lakh during 2018 Assembly polls but failed to do so far. Last year, he waived off crop loans up to Rs 25,000 in the first phase. This means, two more phases will be implemented in the next two years to waive off loans up to Rs 75,000 and Rs 1 lakh respectively till Assembly polls in December 2023.

The cabinet decided to implement Centre’s 10% EWS quota (economically weaker sections) in education and employment from this year. Also five-year relaxation in upper age limit will be given for EWS quota candidates in state government recrutiments.

The cabinet also decided to implement Dalit Bandhu scheme in Huzurabad constituency from August 16 on a pilot basis. An amount of Rs 10 lakh will be credited in the bank accounts of each Dalit family to take up self employment and achieve social and financial security.

TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao proved yet again that he is unpredictable.

KCR on Sunday night took a sudden decision to nominate Padi Kaushik Reddy, a 36-year young leader, from Huzurabad Assemby constituency, as MLC under Governor’s quota.

KCR took this decision while the cabinet meeting was underway at Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday.

Ministers who were present in the cabinet meeting were reportedly shocked when KCR placed Kaushik’s nomination as MLC proposal for approval in the cabinet meeting.

This is because Kaushik Reddy joined TRS from Congress just ten days ago on July 21. No one thought that he will be elevated as MLC within ten days.

When host of senior TRS leaders like Kadiam Srihari, Madhusudhana Chary, Tummala Nageshwar Rao, Gutha Sukender Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy etc were lobbying hard for this MLC post for the past few months, KCR chose a very junior leader to them, Kaushik Reddy, who never won even MLA election so far.

Kaushik Reddy as Congress candidate lost to then TRS candidate Etela Rajender, in 2018 December Assembly polls.

Etela now quit TRS and joined BJP forcing bypoll in Huzurabad soon.

When Kaushik Reddy joined TRS, it was expected that he will contest against Etela from TRS. But now that he was made MLC, it became clear that Kaushik will not get TRS ticket.

Speculations are rife that KCR is looking at a BC or Dalit leader to be fielded against Etela and not a Reddy candidate.

However, KCR’s decision to nominate Kaushik Reddy as MLC came as a big shock to seniors in TRS.