Telangana Government has announced its resolve to implement two more guarantees — Mahalakshmi scheme envisaging LPG cylinder at ₹500 and Gruha Jyoti scheme to provide free power up to 200 units to eligible households – soon.
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The Government has affirmed that it will implement the six guarantees and it is committed to the declarations made for farmers, youth, SC and ST, BC and Minorities communities, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has said. The Governor delivered her traditional address to the joint sitting of the legislature marking the commencement of the budget session on Thursday.
The budget process, she said, was not a mere annual ritual. It was a vehicle for growth and reflected the aspirations of the people who “so lovingly” and overwhelmingly voted for a new Government. “The budget is not just a financial document and it is a blue print for our shared future. It represents our collective aspirations and the Government’s commitment to fulfilling the needs of the people,” she said. The Government therefore aimed at allocating resources efficiently ensuring that every rupee spent would contribute to the welfare and progress of the State.
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She said that the Government’s vision for the State encompassed various sectors from irrigation projects to education and filling up of two lakh vacancies by the newly constituted Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC). Towards this end, the Government was looking at restoring financial discipline and transparency.
“The white paper on finance released during the last session laid bare the incompetent and reckless manner in which the previous Government managed public finance. The people of Telangana handed over a rich State to the previous Government and after ten years, they handed over a debt ridden State to us,” the Governor lamented.
The immediate challenge, she said, was to improve the State’s financial situation without burdening the people. The budget for the financial year 2024-25 would give an opportunity to start the path of restoration, responsibility and accountability in the management of public finance. The rebuilding process would extend to institutions that suffered in the last decade. All the institutions that were critical to the growth and development like TSPSC, Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TSHRC), State Information Commission and universities would be given space to function in a responsible manner.
“We pledge to restore the core values of the legislature and executive, ensuring transparency, accessibility and adherence to constitutional principles,” Dr. Tamilisai averred. The Governor spoke about the vital role played by agriculture providing sustenance to significant portion of the population and the challenges it faced from climate change to market fluctuations. The Government aimed to empower the farming community with initiatives like Rythu Bharosa and crop loan waiver and “our vision is not only to enhance agricultural productivity, but also to create a sustainable and thriving environment to farmers”.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy and others were present. The Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators wore their party scarfs during the Governor’s address of 27 minutes to the House.