Despite Rs 8 Lakh Crore Debt Burden, Telangana Delivering Welfare Schemes: Dy CM Bhatti
Hyderabad, June 9 (TNT) : Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu on Tuesday said the State Government was continuing to implement welfare programmes under “Indiramma Rajyam” despite carrying a debt burden of ₹8 lakh crore inherited from previous governments and paying ₹76,000 crore annually towards debt servicing.
Speaking at a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for power infrastructure development works worth ₹11 crore in Bhongir, Bhatti alleged that opposition parties were spreading misinformation and false propaganda against the government.
He said the Congress government was implementing the promises made to the people during the party’s padayatra led by then Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Revanth Reddy and himself as Congress Legislature Party leader.
The Deputy Chief Minister accused the previous BRS government of failing to provide adequate financial support to power distribution companies despite promising free electricity, resulting in mounting liabilities for the utilities.
He said the present government was clearing pending dues and spending ₹14,000 crore annually towards providing free electricity to nearly 30 lakh agricultural pump sets while ensuring quality power supply.
Bhatti claimed that while the previous government struggled to meet a peak power demand of 15,000 MW during 2023-24, the current administration successfully handled a record peak demand of 18,546 MW during 2025-26 without interruptions.
He urged people not to believe what he described as false narratives being spread by BRS leaders, including senior leader T. Harish Rao.
Highlighting welfare initiatives, Bhatti said the government had introduced free bus travel for women in RTC buses and extended interest-free loans worth ₹67,000 crore to women’s self-help groups over the past two-and-a-half years.
The government aims to provide interest-free loans totalling ₹1.25 lakh crore to women over a five-year period, he said.
He also announced that women’s self-help groups would be encouraged to purchase buses and operate them through the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC).
Criticising the previous government’s double-bedroom housing scheme, Bhatti said the Congress government was providing financial assistance of ₹5 lakh to homeless poor families under the Indiramma Housing Scheme.
He said 4.5 lakh houses had been sanctioned in the first phase at an estimated cost of ₹22,500 crore and announced that an additional 2,000 houses would be allotted to each Assembly constituency this year.
In a major announcement, the Deputy Chief Minister said the government would soon launch the “Indiramma Kutumba Bheema” scheme, under which 1.15 crore families would be provided insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh irrespective of caste or religion in the event of accidental death or other tragedies.
MLA Kumbam Anil Kumar Reddy, MLC Nellikanti Satyam, Municipal Chairperson Tangallapalli Sravani, TGSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Jitesh V. Patil, District Collector Anurag Jayanti and other officials were present.
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