KTR ridicules Congress sops

IT minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday ridiculed the poll promises made by the Congress for the ensuing Assembly elections.

Terming the manifesto impractical, Mr Rama Rao said, “Even if the entire Budget is allotted, the sops promised by Congress cannot be implemented. Even if salaries and pensions for staff are stopped and payments for all government activities are stopped, even then these promises cannot be met. This requires lakhs of crores of rupees, which no government can afford.”

“There is a limit for everything. The Congress manifesto has crossed all the limits. This shows the Congress wants to cheat voters and gain power by hook or by crook. I request the people to be cautious against such poll promises,” Mr Rao said.

He was speaking to reporters at Shadnagar after addressing a public meeting on Wednesday.

The Congress had promised waiver of crop loans of farmers up to `2 lakh at a one go, doubling of Aasara pension amount, `3,000 monthly allowance for 10 lakh unemployed, Rs 5 lakh each for homeless to construct houses, Rs `lakh to construct additional room in existing Indiramma houses etc.

Mr Rama Rao said none of these promises could be met even if the entire state Budget was allotted to pay for them. It may be noted that the state Budget size last year was nearly `.5 lakh crore.

MR RAMA RAO said that even if the entire Budget is allotted, the sops promised by Congress cannot be implemented.