Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Pushes District Collectors for Unique Flagship Programs

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy urged district collectors to design unique programs tailored to their regions, focusing on welfare schemes and forest tourism. He emphasized the importance of balancing development and welfare, improving tribal income through fruit tree plantations, and addressing delays in land acquisitions for highways.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has instructed all district collectors to design and implement distinctive flagship programs based on the resources and unique needs of their districts. Reddy underscored the importance of collectors making meaningful contributions to the execution of these schemes, according to an official statement.

In the post-lunch session, the Chief Minister detailed specific guidelines to the collectors and Superintendents of Police (SPs), emphasizing the priority of welfare schemes under the Six Guarantees. He highlighted the necessity of addressing delays in land acquisitions for national highways, noting such holdups escalate the overall cost of highway projects. Furthermore, Reddy urged officials to strike a balance between developmental and welfare initiatives, advising ministers to make suitable arrangements for each program.

The CM emphasized the benefits of planting fruit trees like mango, guava, and custard apple in forest lands to boost tribal income and improve green cover. He suggested using drone surveys to identify vacant forest lands for these plantations and conducting soil tests beforehand. Such initiatives, he said, would not only provide regular seasonal income for tribes but also mitigate the monkey menace. Reddy also called for the revival of medicinal tree plantations in Vikarabad forests.

Reddy pointed out the tourism potential of Adilabad's dense forests and recommended developing forest tourism similar to Maharashtra's Tadoba Tiger Safari. This includes creating a conducive environment for tiger habitats. He stressed that plantations under Vana Mahotsavam should be sustainable over 50 years. Due to limited government lands, he advised planting palm and Indian palm along project and canal embankments, as well as roadsides to benefit toddy tappers.

(With inputs from agencies.)