Minority service is not for votes: CM

[1]

According to Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, the welfare and development schemes of his government were all being implemented with sincerity and commitment solely for the sake of the minorities, and not with an eye towards the elections.

Mr Reddy was addressing a delegation of religious leaders, led by state Cong-ress general-secretary Abid Rasool Khan, at his Camp Office on Tuesday morning.

The delegation thanked him for announcing a separate Commissionerate for Minority Welfare.
Referring to the recent High Court order on maintaining status-quo at the Bhagyalakshmi temple abutting the Charminar, Mr Reddy said that the state government was not taking sides and had followed the court order scrupulously.

“Protecting the pride of Charminar is our duty. It is the pride of Hyderabad, the state and the Nation. Some people are trying to derive political mileage out of it but our commitment and sincerity towards Muslims and minorities is unquestionable,” Mr Reddy added.

When a separate delegation of toddy toppers met him later to thank him for granting Rs 50 crore for their welfare, the CM said that a one-day workshop to resolve the problems of toddy tappers would be convened in January next year. The workshop will discuss various issues pertaining to toddy tappers and find means to solve them.

Around 1000 toddy tappers belonging to the welfare societies from various districts called on the CM.

The CM said that he hoped that the people would understand that his government was the government that that worked.

“People are intelligent; if the leaders think that the people are ignorant, they will have to face the music. People are experienced; they have seen many governments; they are better judges,” Mr Reddy remarked.

“During the nine years of Naidu's rule, Rs 1,500 crore was spent for the welfare of BCs. During the last one year, Rs 3,019 crore was allocated for their welfare, which is more than what was spent even during the previous five-six years of Congress government,” he said.