Nothing goes according to plan for Kiran Reddy

Nothing goes according to plan for Kiran Reddy

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s visit to Mancherial on Wednesday, perhaps, did not turn out as well as he had intended. First, he had to face angry crowds, who were least interested in his SC/ST sub-plan and more keen on drinking water. Next, his public address began on a sour note with Telangana activists raising full-throated slogans. That was not all. Two Dalit MLAs marched towards him menacingly and joined issue with him in full public view over the power tariff hike!

During the public meeting in Mancherial, the Chief Minister began well, but his caustic remarks triggered a war of words. “I do not understand why these MLAs and Opposition parties called for a bandh Tuesday when the revised power tariff exempted a majority of consumers. Do they not understand? Or are they just making a show despite knowing fully well that it’s not as burdensome?” he wondered.

Strongly objecting to his comments, Dalit MLAS, Nallala Odelu (TRS-Chennur) and Gunda Mallesh (CPI-Bellampally), briskly walked up to him, questioning as to why he had ridiculed them.

“You should offer a solution to people’s problems. Instead, you are trying to humiliate us!” the MLAs fumed. The drama took a serious turn when they approached him menacingly, ready for a fight. Ministers Pithani Satyanarayana (Social Welfare) and P Balaraju (Tribal Welfare) intervened and persuaded them not make a scene. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as they resumed their seats grudgingly.

The Chief Minister wasn’t distracted either by them or the Telangana slogans raised by T activists earlier. He did not touch upon the T issue either. He announced a women’s degree college for Laxettipet, a stadium with an investment of Rs 2.10 crore and upgradation of the 100-bed government hospital to a 250-bed hospital in Mancherial. He also said house site pattas would be distributed to 6,600 beneficiaries.

On the SC/ST sub-plan, he said that for the current financial year, there was an allocation of Rs 12,251 crore for SCs and STs of which Rs 8,585 crore was meant for SCs and Rs 3,666 croe for STs. The Chief Minister said he would have special focus on Adilabad as it has the  highest number of SCs and STs after Khammam district.

Earlier, the Chief Minister faced angry crowds at Chinnagopalpur, about 10 km from Mancherial where they did not care to know what he had to say on the SC/ST sub-plan. Instead, they demanded drinking water and basic amenities like roads. They said they did not know what the sub-plan was, which put the Chief Minister off. He later expressed his displeasure over the failure of the officials to explain to the women the benefits of the plan.