KCR may disclose early polls plan
Speculations rife as CM to hold Cabinet meet before Kongara Kalan rally today
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is expected to end the suspense over early elections to the Assembly during the TRS’ blockbuster public meeting, Telangana Pragathi Nivedana Sabha, being held at Kongara Kalan on the city outskirts on Sunday though the meeting is aimed to release the 4-year progress report of TRS government. The party has made arrangements to mobilise 25 lakh people in over one lakh vehicles from all the 31 districts for the meeting.
Mr Rao had fuelled speculation on early elections in the first week of August when he announced that the TRS would release its list of candidates in September.
His plan to hold a Cabinet meeting hours before the Kongara Kalan meeting has further heightened expectations that he may take a decision on the dissolution of the Assembly.
The comments made by IT minister K.T. Rama Rao and senior minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Saturday lent further credence to the early polls theory.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday announced a 35 per cent pay hike for electricity employees. He also announced that the health scheme will be implemented to electricity staff on par with state government employees.
Addressing thousands of electricity employees at Pragathi Bhavan on Saturday, Mr Rao said the service of power staff would be regularised once a court case on the matter is resolved.
Mr Rao said the government was committed for the welfare of its employees. He said after the formation of Telangana state the first victory achieved by the government was is in the electricity sector.
He said that the state should grow sufficiently in the sector to sell power to neighbouring states. He said the state had so far sold power worth `250 crore. He said that the General Provident Fund (GPF) issue was under purview of the Centre.
Mr Rao appreciated the efforts of Transco chairman and managing director Devulapally Prabhakar Rao for the progress in the electricity department, particularly supplying 24x7 power to the agriculture sector.
Mr Rao after seeing the large number of electricity employees remarked, “If (Transco CMD) Prabhakar Rao will contest in the elections, TRS will benefit.”