KCR all praise for Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan after promising yearly pension hike

HYDERABAD: As if to send across a message to the BRS leaders and cadres about the party line, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has lauded his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

This remark is surely a taunt to at least five Ministers who aired their views in favour of Telugu Desam Party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu who is now in judicial custody.

It may be recalled that Ministers M Malla Reddy, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, and MLA D Sudheer Reddy spoke in favour of Naidu and said his arrest was illegal.

In fact, Finance Minister T Harish Rao had also made a snide remark about Naidu being jailed at a late age of 73. However, KCR’s remarks will put a lid to such comments from anyone in the party.

Speaking at the Pragathi Bhavan on Tuesday while releasing the BRS party manifesto, KCR said, "I am going to hike Asara pensions ₹5,016 (from the present Rs 2,016). We won't give fake promises (like Congress) of doing it the next day of coming to power. It will happen in a phased manner. In our first year of our next term, it will be hiked to ₹3,000 and thereafter it will be increased by Rs 500 every year at the end of the fifth year.

"The same scheme is being implemented successfully by Jagan Mohan Reddy Government in Andhra Pradesh. They also started by giving Rs 2,000 pension which has now increased to Rs 3,000. In the same way, we will increase it by Rs 500 every month. This will ensure that that the exchequer is not burdened," he noted.