Skip to main content

Multiple tasks before new Congress rulers in Telangana ahead of Lok Sabha elections

By Sudhansu R Das 

The newly elected Congress government in Telangana has tough tasks ahead in the economic, social and environmental fronts. The Lok Sabha election is fast approaching. The Congress’ prospect in winning the Lok Sabha seats in Telangana depends on Congress’ initiative to repair the economy without passing the debt burden to people.
The state is facing a huge debt burden of Rs 6,71,757 crore as per the white paper released by the new Congress government; the burden has increased from Rs 72,658 crore in 2014-15 to above Rs 6.71 lakh crore. The construction of mega irrigation projects, huge dams and other infrastructure projects contributed to a large portion of the debt.
On the social front, the state is facing an alarming increase in unemployment level in villages, massive migration of villagers to cities, increase in liquor and drug addiction among the youth. The number of domestic violence and suicide in the state has increased due to lack of quality education, environmental impact on people's mind and due to the decay in cultural and spiritual environment.
There is a serious problem on the environmental front as various survey reports and satellite images show hundreds of lakes in the state have been encroached; many lakes have disappeared or been replaced with concrete jungles. The lakes, rock gardens and native tree lairs are the lifeline of Hyderabad; many of life supports have disappeared amid loud protests from environmentalists, volunteers, media and youth organizations.
Hyderabad is like a hen which lays golden eggs. If anybody infested with greed wants to kill the hen for all the golden eggs he is bound to invite calamity, poverty and unemployment. Greed can bring total ruin to the city. A politician after 50 years should learn to resist greed and work for the good of people which will give him immense satisfaction which he can’t buy with money and propaganda politics.
Political leaders should strive hard to win the good will of people because good will is a precious asset which ultimately helps him win an election. If he does not win the election, he leaves behind a legacy which is worth emulating for the young breed of politicians.
The native tree population, open space, forest, natural rock formation, rivers and groundwater in the city should be scientifically documented for preservation and repair. The instinct to build unnecessary concrete structures, offices, buildings and infrastructures in the city should be curbed. 
State is facing huge debt burden of Rs 6,71,757 as per Congress white paper. It was Rs 72,658 crore in 2014-15
Those things are not required in an internet age where people can work from homes at a faster pace. A green, clean, naturally beautiful and culturally vibrant Hyderabad is like a hen which will lay golden eggs.
Massive employment should be created in villages so that people won’t migrate to Hyderabad which has reached optimum capacity in real estate development; any effort to push the real estate sector further will erode the food reserve around Hyderabad; the villages around the city once served as the food bowl for the entire state. The city should not expand in all directions devouring fertile agricultural fields; villages should have basic infrastructures so that people could earn from village homes.
The new Congress government should document each and every lake in the city as well as in the state. Real estate growth should not eat up the water bodies. Keeping in view of the alarming low level of ground water level, the government should not allow the construction of high rise apartments in the city.
There should be forests, open areas and public parks in the city. One KVR park should be developed in every five kilometer gap. It will keep the city healthy and increase the longevity of this beautiful urban center. Hyderabad is the financial and cultural nerve centre of the state; the city should revive its status as the Queen of Deccan not on advertisement pages but in reality.
The government should provide simple pothole free roads to people as the residents of Hyderabad have suffered for a long time due to bad roads. The road construction should be checked thoroughly so that a small defect on roads would not turn into major accident points. The economy of the state can be revived if the new congress government strikes a balance between the growth, environment and the natural sector.

Comments

TRENDING

From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan   The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services. 

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative   The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta*  India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative   Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C.  In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Fragmented opposition and identity politics shaping Tamil Nadu’s 2026 election battle

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  Tamil Nadu is set to go to the polls in April 2026, and the political battle lines are beginning to take shape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on January 23, 2026, marked the formal launch of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Addressing multiple public meetings, the Prime Minister accused the DMK government of corruption, criminality, and dynastic politics, and called for Tamil Nadu to be “freed from DMK’s chains.” PM Modi alleged that the DMK had turned Tamil Nadu into a drug-ridden state and betrayed public trust by governing through what he described as “Corruption, Mafia and Crime,” derisively terming it “CMC rule.” He claimed that despite making numerous promises, the DMK had failed to deliver meaningful development. He also targeted what he described as the party’s dynastic character, arguing that the government functioned primarily for the benefit of a single family a...

Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative   The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.