The World Telugu Conference last week may have brought laurels to the Telangana government for the meticulous planning that went into successful conduct of the mega event. But the government’s decision not to invite Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu drew flak from several quarters.
The government’s decision not to extend invitation to the Chief Minister of another Telugu-speaking State naturally raised many an eyebrow as the WTC was aimed to promote and protect the language, overcoming all barriers. This was in sharp contrast to Mr. Naidu, who flew down from Vijayawada to personally extend invitation to his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new capital of AP at Amaravati. Mr. Rao attended the function and had wished all the best for Mr. Naidu.
A new low
Last week witnessed politics in the State entering a new low with leaders trading choicest of unparliamentary words.
Both the ruling Telugu Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the opposition Congress were involved in this ‘abusive affair’. It all started with Revanth Reddy criticising Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy at the Jedcherla meeting on his real estate activities using strong language. Infuriated over this, Mr. Laxma Reddy held a press conference to counter attack and crossed the limits of the stature of a Minister in the Government.
The next day it was Revanth who hit back using abusive words to describe Mr. Laxma Reddy much to the surprise of even Congress leaders. He lost control over his tongue and also dragged the Chief Minister to describe how Mr. Laxma Reddy was trying to appease the Chief Minister. Later it was the turn of TRS MLA, Guvvala Balaraj to criticise Revanth Reddy with the language unsuitable for MLAs. Will this abusive game end now or has just began?
Mounting health scheme dues
Threat of a protest withdrawal of services by private hospitals for government-subsidised schemes looms large yet again as the year draws to a close. Private hospitals claim that the State owes them around ₹ 600 crore for dues of Arogyasri and State government Employees and Journalist Health Scheme. The dues have been accumulating since February 2017.
At a meeting held last week, sources say, the hospitals served the government an ultimatum to pay up dues by January 15. A representative of the hospitals said the government has not paid a rupee yet, increasing the possibility of withdrawal of services. In the past, hospitals have carried out their threat by stopping out-patient and elective procedures, crippling healthcare until breakthrough negotiations prevailed.
Dues to the extent of ₹ 60 crore are added every month to the burgeoning bill the government fails to clear regularly, hospitals representatives claim.
Time for another elaborate survey
The revenue staff have to brace up for another survey. They are already doing land records updation which is likely to be over by mid-January but, immediately after that, government has indicated that a survey on the socio-economic status of backward classes will be taken up.
The uplift of BCs seems to be the new focus area of the government going by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s recent meeting with leaders of these communities belonging to all parties and his announcement that a special session of the legislature will be convened solely to discuss their issues. So, the revenue staff can expect their hands full over the next few months as the BC population runs into over 1.5 crore in the State. This is not to speak of thousands of sub-castes within BCs.
(M. Rajeev, R. Ravikanth Reddy, Rohit P.S and N. Rahul)
