Telangana CM Revanth Reddy in video conversation with Raavikanth Reddy, Political Editor, during The Hindu Huddle 2025, in Bengaluru on May 9
| Photo Credit:
k BHAGYA PRAKASH
The Southern States in India stand to lose in the delimitation exercise initiated by the BJP government at the Centre, according to Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister of Telangana. Responding to a question by The Hindu Director N Ram at The Hindu Huddle thought conclave, the CM said the exercise appears to be a punishment for Southern States which implemented family planning.
“We are fundamentally not against it but we need to know the terms of reference. If it’s based on population or pro rata, the Southern States would lose as they strictly implemented family planning. Instead of appreciation, they are punished for the initiative. And such a scenario would widen the gap between the southern and northern States,” Revanth said.
On being asked about the solution for the issue, the CM suggested that 33 per cent seats should be given to southern States. Taking up the case of the southern States, he said, “We’ve been contributing a lot in terms of tax, but what we get in return is much less compared to the BIMARU States. So the best solution is to give 33 per cent seats to the South. BJP apparently wants to deny political opportunity to the South with just one policy.”
He further opined that there should be a wider consultation with stakeholders on the terms of reference and other issues.
‘Justice for the poor’
Speaking about social justice and bold experiments and branding the caste census as a Congress party mark initiative (taken up by the BJP), he said, the survey would be an answer to the next generation over the result of welfare taken up past 70 odd years.
“We’ve taken up several parameters, health, education, backwardness etc, and included all sections, SC, ST, Minority, EWS for the census across Telangana to ensure justice to the poorest of the poor. This is Telangana model and the Government of India is implementing it,” he claimed.
Speaking about the liberal steps taken up in government residential schools, he said that all the residential schools, SC, ST, minority and others, are being merged to help uplift the students from deprivation and social isolation. “Taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s Young India, I asked officials to include everyone and name the schools as Young India Residential Schools. We are allocating 25 acres to each of the school,” he stated.
He spoke at length about the farming community in Telangana, which forms 60% of population, and said Rs 21,000 crore debts cleared and another Rs 18,000 crore input subsidy per annum was provided to farmers. “Besides free power, farmers in Telangana get bonus and MSP and their paddy production was the highest in the country. My idea is to facilitate a farmer, a businessman and an employee in each family,” Revanth claimed.
Investments in Telangana
Women in Telangana were given free rides in over 1,000 RTC buses. For women self-help groups, a host of projects, solar etc, skilling through tie-ups with corporates such as Tata and entities in Japan and Singapore are in place. And there are incentives for SHGs to market their products abroad according to CM Revanth.
The CM said the Telangana could secure ₹3 lakh crore investment through Davos platform and they are being facilitated through a single-window clearance system.
“There are a bunch of countries such as Taiwan where the investment is overflowing. I want to propose Telangana as a preferred alternative in the world for foreign investment. Infrastructure, manufacturing and green technologies are being encouraged. And there is zero tax on electronics and other segments,” he said.
Giving details about the proposed fourth city around Hyderabad, which is being planned on 30,000 acres, he said, it will cater to investments in a bouquet of sectors like medical tourism, education, sports and sustainable living with zero emissions.
Telangana being land locked, the State is developing a dedicated export corridor/highway to access Machilipatnam port in Andhra Pradesh, said Revanth. “We want to create the best infrastructure here to give competition to global cities such as New York,” he said.
Published on May 9, 2025