The new Congress government in Telangana came into being on December 7 razing to the ground the iron barricades at the entrance of the Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence and office of the Chief Minister.
“The barricades that distanced the Telangana society and people from the government are being demolished now and the gates are open for the people to come with their grievances,” Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced in his first address to the people at the L.B. stadium.
Mr. Reddy invited people at 10 a.m. on December 8 to the Jyothirao Phule Praja Bhavan for the Praja Darbar, a custom that earlier Congress Chief Ministers practised meeting people and hearing to their grievances directly.
In an emotional speech, he said Telangana did not come into existence so easily but with the sweat and blood, and struggles and sacrifices of people. People bore the 10-year suppression silently and today is the true liberation day, he said adding that the people’s government was established now and this will lead to equitable development across Telangana from Adilabad to Alampur and Khammam to Kodangal.
Appealing to the Congress workers, he said they had endured repression for the last 10 years and yet they carried the Congress flag. He said he would take care of them as an elder brother and their sacrifices would not go waste. “We are not the rulers but servants,” he announced in his short speech. Mr. Reddy thanked Sonia Gandhi for delivering the State fighting against all odds.
Earlier, he signed two files immediately after taking over as the Chief Minister. The first file is related to the implementation of the six guarantees promised by the Congress party during its campaign and included in the election manifesto. The second file pertains to the employment opportunity for physically challenged T. Rajini, whom Revanth Reddy assured a job during the poll campaigning for the Telangana Assembly elections.
Huge turn out
Thousands of Congress workers and admirers of the party turned up at the LB stadium occupying every seat while thousands waited outside. There was a huge uproar when Mr. Revanth Reddy said in Telugu ‘Revanth Reddy Ane Nenu’ as he took oath as the Chief Minister. Danasari Seethakka too received tremendous response as she rose to take oath.
All the Ministers after taking oath were congratulated by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and later they went up to AICC president, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and took their blessings.
Konda Surekha touched Sonia Gandhi’s feet who then gracefully stood up and hugged her. Rahul Gandhi shook hands with every Minister who approached him while Priyanka Gandhi greeted them with a namaste. Mr. Siddaramaiah shook hands with all the Ministers congratulating him.
Revanth’s family centre of attraction
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s wife Geetha, his daughter Nymisha and grandson Riyansh were on the stage along with other family members. After the ceremony, Ms. Geetha walked over to Sonia Gandhi thanking her while Revanth Reddy asked his daughter and grandson to join them in the chat.
