KTR Questions Congress Over 2 Lakh Jobs Promise, Seeks Rahul Gandhi's Response

BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday accused the Congress government of failing to honour its promise of providing two lakh government jobs within the first year of coming to power, alleging that the commitment made to Telangana's youth remains unfulfilled even after 32 months in office. He demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy explain the delay and answer the concerns of thousands of unemployed job aspirants across the state.

Speaking at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad, KTR alleged that the Congress government's recruitment drive had fallen far short of the promises made during the 2023 Assembly election campaign. He said the much-publicised job calendar had failed to generate the expected employment opportunities, leaving thousands of young aspirants waiting for appointments despite repeated assurances from the government.

The BRS leader cited the case of Venu, a job aspirant from Madhira in Khammam district, who allegedly attempted suicide after writing a letter to Rahul Gandhi over the delay in government recruitment. Describing the incident as a reflection of the frustration among unemployed youth, KTR said the Congress leadership could not remain silent while such incidents continued. He also pointed out that Madhira is represented by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

Questioning Rahul Gandhi's silence, KTR recalled that the Congress leader had visited Hyderabad's Ashok Nagar coaching centre hub before the Assembly elections and assured aspirants that government vacancies would be filled after the party assumed power. He asked why Rahul Gandhi had not returned to meet unemployed youth despite their repeated protests. If the Congress leader failed to visit Hyderabad, KTR warned that BRS leaders and job aspirants would stage a protest outside his residence in New Delhi.

Adding context to the issue, government recruitment has remained one of Telangana's most debated political subjects since the TSPSC recruitment paper leak, which disrupted several examinations and delayed appointments before the change in government. While the Congress administration has repeatedly claimed that it removed legal and administrative hurdles and filled around 70,000 government vacancies, the BRS has challenged those figures, arguing that many of the appointments were linked to recruitment notifications issued during its tenure.

KTR also criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over his recent remarks on engineering graduates, saying they undermined a profession that contributed to landmark projects such as the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat, the Integrated Command and Control Centre, and Hyderabad's flyovers. He further alleged that the state's IT sector had witnessed a decline in employment under the Congress government and accused the administration of failing to create a positive environment for job creation.

On irrigation, KTR claimed the government had failed to utilise abundant water available in the Godavari River through lift irrigation projects, allowing large quantities of water to flow into the sea instead of benefiting farmers. He also alleged irregularities in the proposed Hyderabad Metro Rail takeover and claimed opposition leaders were being targeted for exposing government failures.

Citing a written reply submitted in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, KTR claimed that only 16,978 government jobs had been filled so far. Excluding appointments linked to notifications issued by the previous BRS government, he alleged that the Congress administration had directly filled fewer than 10,000 posts. The Congress, however, has maintained that it has accelerated recruitment by clearing pending legal obstacles and completing long-delayed selection processes, reiterating that nearly 70,000 vacancies have been filled since it assumed office.