New Telangana CM Revanth Reddy approves Congress' 6 poll guarantees on day 1

A Revanth Reddy, who was sworn in as the second chief minister of Telangana about an hour back, on Thursday approved the six poll guarantees on the first day of his office. Reddy became the first Congress chief minister of Telangana and the second chief minister of the youngest state in India, which was created in 2014 after the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. In the recently held election, the Congress won 64 of the total 119 assembly seats.

In its poll manifesto ahead of the Telangana Assembly Election, the Congress had promised six guarantees which would "help realise the dream of Bangaru Telangana". These included Mahalakshmi, Rythu Bharosa, Gruha Jyothi, Indiramma Indlu, Yuva Vikasam and Cheyutha. These guarantees were seen as one of the major driving factors behind the party’s thumping victory in the state previously ruled by BRS.

> Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, the Congress government has promised to give Rs 2,500 every month; Gas cylinders will be available for Rs 500; Free travel will be offered in RTC buses

> Rythu Bharosa: Farmers will get Rs 15,000 per acre every year; Rs 12,000 per year for agriculture labour; bonus of Rs 500 per year for paddy crop

> > Gruha Jyothi: Under the scheme, Congress promised to provide 200 units of free electricity to every household

> Indiramma Indlu: 250 sq yards plot for all Telangana movement fighters; House site and Rs 5 lakh for people not having their own house

> Yuha Vikasam: Vidya Bharosa card worth Rs 5 lakh for students; Telangana International Schools in every mandal

> Cheyutha: Rs 4,000 monthly pension for senior citizens; Rs 10 lakh under the Rajiv Arogyasri insurance.

Implementation of these schemes

Of these, the most attractive one at present is the provision of free travel for women in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses. The guarantee is similar to what the Congress government is offering in Karnataka.

Sources in the state government told PTI, TSRTC earns Rs 2,500 crore annually from women passengers. Following the implementation of the scheme, the Congress will have to give the same amount to the corporation, which is reeling under accumulated losses of Rs 6,000 crore.
 
Besides this, the Congress had also promised to waive farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh. The outgoing BRS government had earlier said that around Rs 21,000 lakh crore would be needed to waive off farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh. As per PTI, the newly elected government will need at least Rs 35,000 lakh crore in the next five years to fulfill its promise.

There are 42 lakh farmers in the state who have been identified as beneficiaries during the previous regime for the crop loan waiver. The numbers will surely go up in the coming years.

Similarly, the Congress promised to give Rs 15,000 to farmers and Rs 12,000 to farm workers under the Rythu Bharosa guarantee scheme per acre annually. Under the BRS government's Rythu Bandhu, farmers were paid Rs 10,000 annually.

In all, the outgoing BRS government has given away Rs 72,000 crore under a similar scheme during the past five and half years, with 70 lakh farmers beneficiaries.

If the Congress party has to implement this scheme with the same number of beneficiaries, it needs nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years.

The other key promises include 200 units of electricity free to all households, Rs 5 lakh assistance for homeless poor to build houses, Rs 5 lakh for college or coaching fees, a monthly Rs 4,000 pension to senior citizens, widows, and single women and rural employment guarantee wages of Rs 350 daily.

According to the Telangana budget 2023-24, the total revenue was pegged at Rs 2.16 lakh crore while the revenue expenditure was around Rs 2.12 lakh crore.

Telangana's outstanding public debt is estimated to be Rs 3,57,059 crore, according to the Budget estimates 2023-24 which is 23.8 per cent of the GSDP.

As per the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) data, the previous BRS government had nearly exhausted the debt access limits.

The debt mobilisation target for 2023-24 is Rs 38,234 crore. The state government mobilised Rs 33,378 crore, which is 87.3 per cent of the target, between April-October 2023, the CAG data showed.

Telangana’s revenue generation has been much lower than the target for the year. This year’s budget had projected the revenue target as Rs 2.16 lakh crore. But only 46 per cent, about Rs 99,755 crore, was generated.

The state government has received about 50 per cent of its share in the central taxes for the fiscal year.

Previously, election outcomes have been influenced by various welfare initiatives.

Earlier this year, PM Modi warned against the rise of “revdi culture” or freebie culture and called it a threat to “development”.

In 2022, the Supreme Court stressed on the need for distinguishing between welfare programs and freebies, highlighting the necessity of achieving a proper balance between the two.

While hearing a PIL filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, "Freebies and the social welfare scheme are different...Economy losing the money and the welfare of people, both have to be balanced and that is why, this debate. There must be someone who can put their vision and thoughts. Please submit something before my retirement," the CJI said.

Karnataka, which ousted the BJP earlier this year, marked a landslide victory on the back of the party's "five guarantees". These guarantees, Anna Bhagya, Shakthi, Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, and Yuva Nidhi, were key in wooing the voters and were the pillars of the party's winning strategy.

Similarly, ahead of the Gujarat state elections, the ruling government had promised free medicine and rations.

The Tamil Nadu government also attracted the voters with populist schemes like complimentary bus rides, free breakfast programs, and free power connections.