Hyderabad: Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday said the Telangana govt is prioritising temple development, public welfare and infrastructure development across the state, with around ₹2,500 crore being spent on temple-related projects.He was speaking at a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for a road leading to the Adbhuta Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Nacharam in Enkooru mandal of Wyra constituency in Khammam district. The road is being constructed at a cost of ₹44 crore to facilitate the movement of devotees visiting the temple.
Bhatti said the temple was expected to attract lakhs of devotees in the coming years and that improved road connectivity would ensure convenient access, benefit devotees, boost local businesses and generate employment opportunities.“In preparation for the Godavari Pushkaralu, ₹2,000 crore is being spent on developing the river basin areas and temples located along the river,” Bhatti said. He added that ₹276 crore had been allocated for the development of the Bhadrachalam Temple and ₹354 crore for the Sri Gnana Saraswathi Temple at Basara.Emphasising the govt’s commitment to public welfare, Bhatti said the administration’s objective was to meet the needs of every family and improve people’s living conditions. He noted that fine-quality rice was being supplied to over 1 crore families, while the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme provided free medical treatment of up to ₹10 lakh per family. Rythu Bharosa assistance was being extended to 71 lakh farmers, and 53 lakh families were receiving up to 200 units of free electricity, he informed.He also highlighted welfare measures such as interest-free loans for women, social security pensions for eligible beneficiaries and free bus travel for women. Under the Indiramma Indlu housing scheme, the govt was providing financial assistance of ₹5 lakh per house to support the construction of more than eight lakh houses for poor families across the state.Referring to education, he said the govt was implementing a breakfast scheme for 27 lakh students studying in govt schools. Diet charges in residential schools had been increased by 40%, while cosmetic charges had been raised by 200%, Bhatti pointed out.He said Young India Integrated Residential Schools were being constructed in every constituency at an estimated cost of ₹200 crore each. A school had also been sanctioned for Wyra constituency. An Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) had been allocated to the region to improve educational and technical opportunities.On infrastructure development, Bhatti said road projects worth approximately ₹90,000 crore were being undertaken across Telangana. He assured the public that the govt was taking measures to maintain an uninterrupted power supply despite electricity demand exceeding 20,000 megawatts.He said the state had accumulated a debt burden of approximately ₹8.2 lakh crore over the past decade, with around ₹6,600 crore being spent every month on principal and interest repayments. Despite the financial burden, the govt was continuing to implement welfare programmes alongside development projects, he said.The deputy chief minister also expressed concern over the possible impact of El Nino on rainfall and water availability. He urged people to conserve water and use every drop judiciously, keeping in mind the requirements of humans, livestock and birds. He advised farmers to consider groundwater levels while operating agricultural pumps.He said officials had been directed to conduct village-level awareness programmes on water conservation, explaining the potential situation with the support of scientists and agricultural experts.
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