Rahul Gandhi hits out at KCR, claims Telangana reeling under debt

KAMAREDDY: Targetting caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged 4,500 farmers had committed suicides in Telangana in the past four years, and claimed the state was reeling under a debt of Rs 2 lakh crore.nnSpeaking at a public meeting as part of the campaign for the December 7 Assembly polls, Gandhi said KCR (as Rao is popularly known) neglected farmers and their problems, but had spent Rs 300 crore of public money to construct a palatial bungalow in the state capital, referring to ?Pragati Bhavan?, the chief minister?s residence.nn?Telangana farmers played an important role in the state?s formation. In the same Telangana, 4,500 farmers committed suicide in the past four years. Farmers seeking support price were handcuffed in the state. KCR pushed the state into debt. Telangana now has Rs 2 lakh crore debt. There is a debt of Rs 2.60 lakh on every family in Telangana. Every citizen of Telangana carries a debt burden of Rs 60,000,? Gandhi said.nnGandhi alleged KCR had failed to exert pressure on the Centre for setting up the turmeric Board in Nizamabad. KCR also failed to take steps to reopen the Nizam Sugar Factory, which was shut down in the past, he alleged.nnTaking potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and KCR, he said both the leaders indulge in corruption in the name of ?redesigning? projects. ?KCR is supporting BJP in Telangana. Whatever policy decision is taken by the BJP government (at the Centre), KCR supports it and stands by them.?nnGandhi promised that one lakh government jobs will be filled within one year if the Congress comes to power in Telangana. ?Change will come in Telangana. KCR government will go. And in Delhi, Narendra Modi?s government will go. I did not come here to make false promises.?nn?The moment Congress comes to power in Telangana, we will protect tribal lands. We will give Rs 3,000 allowance each to unemployed youth,? Gandhi said.nnSource: Press Trust of India