India's youngest state Telangana celebrated its third formation day on Friday with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his cabinet colleagues leading the celebrations.
It was on this day in 2014 that Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh as India's 29th state.
At the main official function at Secunderabad Parade Ground here, Chandrasekhar Rao unfurled the national flag and reviewed a colourful ceremonial parade.
He reached the venue after paying tributes at Telangana martyrs' memorial at Gun Park near the Assembly building.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that despite being rich in undivided state, Telangana never saw development. But after becoming a separate state and in a short span of three years, it had made rapid progress in all sectors.
He said Telangana was on the path of development to fulfil people's aspirations.
Quoting the report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), he said Telangana topped revenue growth rate in the country in 2016-17 at 17.82 percent.
He said the state not only created wealth but became a model in distributing this wealth in equitable manner for social justice.
KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said Telangana became the number one state in the country in implementing welfare schemes for the poor and weaker sections.
He said the state was spending Rs 40,000 crore annually on 35 welfare schemes. He said 40 lakh beneficiaries were getting monthly pensions. Financial assistance was being provided for marriage of girls of poor families.
He announced implementation of two new schemes from Friday. All single women will be paid monthly pension of Rs 1,000 each.
He also announced launch of 'KCR kit' scheme for mother and child. As poor women are going for work without taking rest after delivery, the government will pay Rs 12,000 in three installments so that they get proper rest and nutritious food. Mother delivering a girl child will get an additional Rs 1,000.
The government will also distribute mother and baby kits, each consisting 16 items like clothes, soap, powder, oil, net, napkins, diapers and toys.
Listing out the achievements of last three years, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) said overcoming the electricity shortage was the first challenge successfully met by the government. Stating that the state was on way to become power surplus state, he said steps were being taken to ensure 24 hour supply to farmers from Rabi season
KCR said all villages will get drinking water by December.
He said Mission Kakatiya was also progressing well to revive 46,000 tanks. Under this programme, 16,000 tanks were revived in two years while work was on to revive 5,000 tanks this year.
He said tanks were now brimming with water while the ground water table had improved.
He said as part of the efforts to make agriculture profitable, farmers would be paid Rs 8,000 per acre every year towards input costs.
He presented awards to over 50 personalities for their distinguished services in various walks of life.
Similar celebrations were held in 30 other districts with ministers and senior officials hoisting the national flag.
--IANS
ms/mr
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