At mega BRS meet, KCR promises to scrap 'Agnipath' scheme

Khammam (Telangana), Jan 18:  Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday said Agnipath scheme for army recruitments will be scrapped if his party comes to power at the Centre or plays a key role in formation of the next government at the Centre.

Criticising the Agnipath scheme announced last year by the BJP government at the Centre, he said this was disintegrating the defence system. He promised that the next government would scrap the scheme and restore the old system saying the army should have a standard.

KCR, as Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly called, was addressing the mammoth inaugural public meeting of BRS, which was also addressed by Chief Ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Kerala and leaders of different political parties.

Claiming that the public meeting marks the beginning of a new change in the country, he said BRS would soon announce its agenda.

KCR gave a glimpse of BRS' vision for India. He promised that if BRS is voted to power in 2024, it would make India free from power cuts in two years. He also promised supply of clean drinking water, free power to all farmers across the country, implementation of Rythu Bandh, a scheme of Telangana government under which farmers are provided investment support of Rs 10,000 per acre every year, and also replication of Dalit Bandhu which provides Rs 10 lakh assistance to every Dalit family to start any business or economic activity of its choice.

Stating that India has lost direction, he said there was politics on every issue. He urged people to ponder what is the aim of India and why it is lagging behind despite having abundant natural and human resources to progress.

"Today India is seeking loans and help from the USA and others. India is full of assets and abundant resources. But the country is seeking assistance from others. Geographically, USAA is big but it has only 29 per cent ofA farmland while China has only 16 per cent farmland. In India, out of 83 crore acres of land, 41 crore acres is cultivable. 4,000 billion cubic/1.40 lakh TMC water is available in India. 50 per cent of available water evaporated. Still, we have 70 TMC of water for utilisation. We have land, water, solar power, humid weather in coastal and land-locked states like Telangana. India also has cold areas like Punjab. We also have 139 crore hard working manpower," he said.

Citing the figures of Central Water Commission, he said 70,000 TMC is available in India but the country is using only 20,000 TMC. "After 75 years of independence, India is still facing a drinking water crisis. The country is lacking aims and objectives. Only a few projects have been taken up. Tribunals were constituted but no action was taken in resolving water disputes. When will we complete the projects and provide irrigation water and improve agriculture," he asked.

"Only question to the nation is shall we not utilise all the water available to address the drinking water crisis and irrigation. To achieve this, the BRS has been created. Like the Telangana movement, BRS will take up another movement in India to achieve the goal," he said.

KCR said all states except Telangana were experiencing power cuts. The total installed power capacity in India is 10 lakh MW but the country is not using more than 2 lakh MW. He promised to make the country free from power cuts in two years.

He blamed both BJP and Congress for incompetency of their governments to address basic issues. He remarked that they engage only in verbal fights.

Lashing out at the BJP government at the Centre, KCR remarked that its slogan is socialisation of losses and privatisation of the profit. "You policy is privatisation and our policy is nationalisation," he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go home and the next government will save LIC which has assets of Rs 42 lakh crore.

KCR also alleged that the Modi government is selling Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and declared that the BRS will save the plant from privatisation.

The BRS chief also promised that 25 lakh families across the country will be given Dalit Bandhu benefits every year. Stating that women empowerment helps to grow the country, he said the BRS proposed 35 per cent reservation to women in legislative bodies.