TRS-BJP spar over KCR kits

After the BJP’s recent electoral successes, the party has upped the ante hoping to emerge as an alternative to the TRS.

A political slugfest has erupted between the BJP and TRS over “KCR Kits” aimed at providing financial assistance to pregnant women to encourage institutional deliveries.

The BJP is objecting to the scheme being named after Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, when the Centre is contributing the funds.

However, the TRS says that the Centre’s share to each kit is only `6,000 while it is contributing an additional `8,000, thus making it the major contributor and hence giving it the right to name the scheme as it wants.

Not convinced, the state BJP leadership has decided to complain to the Centre and get it to direct the state government to remove the CM’s name.

Mr Rao on Monday announced that the KCR Kits scheme would be launched on June 2, Telangana Formation Day.

BJP Floor leader in Legislative Assembly G. Kishan Reddy said, “It’s highly objectionable that Central scheme is being named after an individual. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too introduced several schemes in these three years but never named any scheme after himself. Only the letters PM have been prefixed to schemes. We have no objection if the state government prefixes “CM” to the scheme. But naming it as KCR Kits scheme is not acceptable.”

Mr Reddy said a BJP delegation will soon meet Union health minister J.P. Nadda and lodge a complaint.

However, TS health minister C. Laxma Reddy justified the state government’s stand saying: “The Centre is contributing just `6,000. When we are contributing `8,000, which is more than Centre’s `6,000; we have every right to name the scheme as we wish.”