The TRS chief had vowed to donate gold to temples if his demand for a separate Telangana state was met. The state recently approved Rs 5.59 crore as gold offerings to temples in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
More than the sagacity of Mr Rao’s decision to donate public money to fulfil his personal promise to religious institutions, it is the timing that is baffling.
Rao’s is setting aside crores of rupees when Telangana is facing multiple crises. More than 530 farmers have committed suicide in the state since its inception in June 2 last year.
According to NSSO figures, the average debt of a farmer in Telangana is Rs 93,000 — that’s almost double the national average of Rs 47,000. The healthcare scenario is inadequate. It was only in November that junior doctors called off a two-month long protest against the government’s policies and working conditions in rural areas.
The state has also reported more than 1,000 swine flu cases and more than 50 deaths this year alone. The state government is also yet to come up with a plan to tackle bonded labour and child marriages and improve education.
Rao’s personal convictions have also meant that a new secretariat complex will be built — after he cited vaastu problems for the existing building — at a site on which the Erragadda chest hospital is operating.
As is with the case of any new state, there are many administrative challenges and the future of the state depends on the decisions its leadership takes in its formative years.
The fight for a separate Telangana was a long and bitter one and the people entrusted Mr Rao to improve their lives. But he has not lived up to the expectations and is on the path of becoming a modern-day Nero oblivious to the problems his people are facing. And it will take more than divine intervention to address these.
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