KCR For Health Checkups Like America In Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today said the government is planning to launch a scheme to conduct health checkups for people in the state.

"In America, they have a medical budget in the family budget. Every family member gets health checkup done periodically. Our people are poor," he said. Why should not the government take a decision (to the effect), he asked.

A card is provided to people by conducting health checkup, he said in the Legislative Assembly while speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address. Saying that families in the US get their health checked periodically, Rao said the state government would like to take up the programme to conduct health checkups to all people in the state.

The government also plans to conduct free eye tests to people in the state and provide glasses to the needy, the chief minister said. He rejected the allegation of BJP and others that the state government's debts were mounting.

The share of debt when the state was formed (in 2014) was Rs 72,000 crore and the debt to be paid as on date is Rs 1,42,000 crore which is inclusive of both the old and new debts, he said. The opposition exaggerated the debts and claimed that debts of Rs two lakh crore existed, he said.

The capital expenditure of undivided Andhra Pradesh during 2004 to 2014 was Rs 1,29,683 crore, while that of Telangana in the last four years is Rs 1,25,000 crore,he said. He highlighted the numerous welfare and development measures being implemented by the state government. Referring to yesterday's expulsion of two Congress MLAs from the House for their "unruly" behaviour on the occasion of Governor's address to the joint sitting of the legislature, Rao said "two others also appear to be almost in a similar condition".

Two MLAs -- K Venkata Reddy and SA Sampath Kumar -- were expelled for their "unruly behaviour" and 11 others suspended till the end of the session. On allegations that his government encouraged defections from TDP and others, he said the opposition MLAs were told to join the ruling TRS "in two-third number out of the total as per Constitution." They were admitted in the interest of Telangana, he said.

Hitting out at the main opposition Congress, he traced the history of Telangana since the 1950s and alleged that the Congress compromised on the region's interests.

PTI