KCR says his state ‘richest’, Naidu vows to make Andhra great again

Telangana celebrated the third year of its formation on Friday, with chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) triumphantly declaring it as India’s richest state with a record growth rate of 17.82%.

Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, still bears the scars suffered during the 2014 bifurcation. Its chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, adopted a more sombre note on the day – leading residents in a pledge to bring the truncated state back on the road to prosperity.

Addressing an impressive gathering at the Secunderabad Parade Grounds, Rao said Telangana had emerged as an advanced state after the bifurcation. “I repeatedly asserted during the Telangana movement that once our state is formed, it will be the richest in the country. The statements I made have been proved correct,” he said.

KCR, listed out the schemes launched by the government for various sections of the society. The government is spending ₹40,000 crore on 35 welfare schemes, he said.

The CM announced two more welfare programmes on the occasion – a monthly pension of ₹1,000 for single women with no support, and the KCR Kit Scheme for ensuring the wellbeing of pregnant women and newborns.

He said the KCR Kit Scheme would provide monetary aid to expectant mothers from poor families, so they don’t have to continue working during advanced stages of pregnancy,

“My ambition is to turn Telangana into the country’s number one state,” KCR declared.

At Vijayawada, the Telugu Desam Party government administered the Nava Nirmana Deeksha – a vow to rebuild the state into a prosperous one – to the people. “We have the capacity. All we need now is dedication and determination,” Naidu said.

The Nava Nirmana Deeksha programme will continue till June 8, when the government completes three years in governance.