Telangana emerges as India's richest state

India's youngest state, which cut its third birthday cake in the presence of thousands of jubilant people who had assembled to celebrate the Formation Day on Friday, cheered the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) when he announced that Telangana has emerged as the country's richest state with a growth rate of 17.82 per cent.

He said that for the first time in the country Rs 17,000 crore in crop loans of 35.30 lakh farmers have been waived.

"I declare it proudly that it is due to proper policy planning, financial prudence, and discipline that the growth rate was achieved. My ambition is to turn Telangana into the country's number one state," KCR declared.

He also announced a slew of welfare schemes which basically aims at improving a lot of the poor masses.

Telangana celebrated the third year of its formation on Friday, with chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao triumphantly declaring it as India's richest state with a record growth rate of 17.82 per cent. It was proud day for a state which is in a celebration mood as the state still bears the wounds that were inflicted during the bifurcation in 2014.

No less than Chief Minister KCR, who had led from the front for the formation of Telangana, repeated the pledge that he made to the people during the movement that once Telangana was formed it will be the richest state in the country. The growth rate attained by the state which is backed by the CAG's report proved the Chief Minister's point.

KCR also announced 35 welfare schemes of Rs 40,000 crore. These schemes are aimed at making the poor comfortable and the biggest beneficiaries are the women, with a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 for single women with no support, and the KCR Kit Scheme for ensuring the well-being of pregnant women and newborns.

The KTR Kit Scheme would make the women very happy. Under this scheme, the state government would provide monetary aid to expectant mothers from poor families, so they don't have to continue working during advanced stages of pregnancy, besides nutritious food and post-delivery care. While pregnant women would be given a sum of Rs 12,000 under the scheme, they would be entitled to an additional incentive of Rs 1,000 if the infant turns out to be a girl. This will cover 2.5 lakh pregnant women across Telangana.

Normally when a child is born it is showered with gifts by friends and relations. But the baby will get a 'KCR kit' comprising 16 items, such as clothes, baby soap, baby oil, baby powder, mosquito net, toys, napkins, diapers, and a sari.

Announcing the sop for the farmers, he said they would get Rs 8000 as input cost per acre for two crops a season and there would also be a provision for minimum support price for crops.

The Chief Minister announced a unique scheme to promote hereditary professions such as sheep and cattle rearing, fishing, carpentry, and stone-cutting. The Yadavas and the Kurumas communities will be given 75 per cent subsidy to set up sheep units. The state will buy 84 lakh sheep with an investment of Rs 5000 crore for the Yadavas and the Kurumas families.

"This scheme will result in accumulation of wealth worth Rs 20,000 crore for these families. Sheep breeding for the first time will come under organised sector and the state will become self-sufficient in its need for meat, but it will be in a position to export it to other states and countries" said KCR.

The Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the Telangana Martyrs at Gun Park in front of the state assembly and hoisted the national flag at the Police Parade Grounds.

KCR distributed awards to 50 members in recognition of their contributions to various fields of life and disbursed pension for single women.

The third anniversary celebrations of the Telangana will also feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of 'Ek Bharat-Shrestha Bharat' which was launched last year in order to bridge the cultural gap in the country and increase the interaction between people living in different states.