The three-letter abbreviation, KCR for Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao, is not new just to the people of Telangana but also all those who follow Indian politics. His popularity, in spite of having critics, which is common in public life, has grown in leaps and bounds as he successfully led the mass movement in support of statehood to Telangana since 2001 and it has multiplied across the country after formation of the new State as he took over the reins of the youngest State in the country in 2014.
However, his son K. Tarakarama Rao, popularly know as KTR, who is also a Cabinet colleague of KCR, has coined a new abbreviation for his Chief Minister-father on Friday as Mr. KCR inaugurated a pump-house of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project to fill water in the Kondapochammasagar reservoir. Mr. KTR tweeted that KCR would now also stand for ‘ Kaalvalu (canals), Cheruvulu (tanks/lakes) and Reservoirlu (reservoirs)’ as Kaleshwaram project spread its presence in those forms in different parts of Telangana. Why not? A responsible son has every right to coin the new abbreviation as the people enjoying the benefits of the project have already recognised its three virtues – KCR , says a ruling party leader considered ‘close’ to the ‘power-full’ family!
Now comes the
locust threat
Amidst the struggle of the government to save its people from COVID-19, the State is faced with a potentially new threat from a different enemy which could cripple its agriculture.
As a precaution to protect farmers from locust swarm in case it headed towards Telangana, the government formed a five-member committee to conduct an aerial survey and determine the course of the swarm.
The committee declared in Adilabad on Sunday that the swarm had changed its course and that farmers need not have any apprehensions about damage to their crop.
It was coincidence that the swarm had emerged in a northern State at a crucial time when agricultural operations for a new season were set to begin shortly all over the country.
In Telangana, the State government had much bigger plans to regulate agricultural activity with crop specific acreage.
Wine shops present pathetic look
When liquor shops reopened in the State after 45 days of shut down on May 6, there were long queues of people desperate for drink at the outlets. But, a look at the shops as one passed by presented a pathetic look now. There was not even a single buyer across the counters at most shops.
The reason was not far to comprehend. People had run out of money to buy their favourite brands due to unemployment on account of lockdown. What little they had saved when the shops were shut was exhausted in the initial days of reopening of the trade. Also, the 16% or more increase in the price of bottles contributed to sales going down. The haves could afford the increase but the have nots felt the heat.
B. Chandrashekhar & N. Rahul
