Congress Faces Scrutiny Over Pending Promises on Completing 1,000 Days in Office

As the Congress government in Telangana completed 1,000 days in office, questions and public protests have emerged in Hyderabad and across the State over unfulfilled welfare guarantees, employee dues, and infrastructure commitments. Government employees, unemployed youth, students, farmers, and pensioners have taken to the streets, while some ruling party legislators have also raised concerns over administrative functioning.

Under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, the government promised Rs 15,000 per acre annually to farmers and tenant farmers, along with Rs 12,000 to agricultural labourers. While the administration stated that Rs 36,000 crore has been disbursed under the scheme so far, financial assistance was withheld on four occasions, amounting to nearly Rs 30,000 crore. In addition, the Rythu Bima insurance scheme has not been renewed.

Key welfare commitments for women also remain pending. While the government implemented free bus travel for women, allegations of fare hikes for other passengers have surfaced. Pledges to provide Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to women, electric scooters for female students, and a salary hike to Rs 18,000 for Anganwadi teachers have not been implemented. Meanwhile, the Rs 500 LPG cylinder scheme covers 43 lakh families, but eligible households have reported being excluded. Under the free electricity initiative of up to 200 units covering 53 lakh families, consumers exceeding the limit must pay full charges.

In the housing sector, the government reported 4.50 lakh Indiramma houses under construction in the first phase, though beneficiaries are waiting for final instalment releases. In Hyderabad, only 7,300 houses are under construction in the first phase against a planned target of one lakh, with beneficiaries required to contribute Rs 6 lakh.

Employment and education have also seen mounting scrutiny. While the government claimed to have provided 72,000 jobs, notifications for most were issued during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi regime. The government admitted in the Legislative Assembly that it had issued notifications for only 16,978 jobs, and an August 2024 job calendar remains unimplemented. In education, protests continue over nearly Rs 10,000 crore in pending fee reimbursement dues and the non-allocation of a promised Rs 1,000 crore to Osmania University.

State government employees and pensioners are currently awaiting six pending dearness allowance instalments, with total arrears reaching nearly Rs 10,000 crore. The second Pay Revision Commission has yet to submit its report before its term expires on September 30.