Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan has termed the ongoing phase of governance in Telangana as “golden era” for welfare as the Government has been implementing welfare schemes at a whopping ₹40,000 crore a year and no other State in the country, not even the Centre, has made such huge allocation for welfare.
In his Republic Day address at the Parade Grounds here on Saturday, the Governor stated that keeping the promises made during the recently-held Assembly election, the Government would reduce the age limit for old-age pension to 57 years and double the pension amount. He said schemes implemented for welfare and development of all sections had ensured huge victory to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s leadership and his pro-people policies.
Before his 20-minute speech, the Governor unfurled the national flag and reviewed the parade. March past was conducted by several participating contingents of the Army, Indian Air Force, armed reserve and special police battalions, NCC, Bharat Scouts & Guides, residential educational institutions' societies and Netra Vidyalaya.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Legislative Council Chairman K. Swamy Goud, Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Chief Secretary S. K. Joshi, Director-General of Police M. Mahender Reddy and a large number of officials and non-officials took part in the Republic Day celebrations.
Stating that providing irrigation facility to 1.25 crore acres of land was the top priority of the Government, the Governor said despite hurdles created by some vested interests, it had overcome them with an iron will and also found solutions to inter-State disputes amicably towards utilising the State’s share of 1,300 tmc ft water in the Godavari and Krishna river basins. As part of rejuvenating the polluted Musi river, the Government had decided to inter-link the river along with Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs with Kaleshwaram project canal system. He announced that the Government was making all efforts to get the fruits of “pride of Telangana, Kaleshwaram project” from the next monsoon season. It was also resolved to completed Palamuru-Rangareddy, Sitarama, Dindi and other projects in time to make Telangana a bowl of agricultural produce in the next five years. By March-end, pure and safe drinking water would be supplied to all households in villages and municipalities through the Mission Bhagiratha by giving tap connections.
