GO Rt No. 2175 is the most trending government document in Telangana on Thursday. What is special about this GO? This was about release of funds for the gifts given to VIPs during Kaleshwaram projects’ inaugural on 21st June 2019. The GO released on 21st August 2019, reveals that a whooping Rs 1.66 crore was spent on procuring gifts to the VIPs who attended the ceremony. Along with the then two Telugu states Governor ESL Narasimhan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, total 12 VIPs were felicitated.
The felicitation included gifting a silver memento along with the silk shawls. Artisans from the Silver Filigree of Karimnagar (SIFKA) have handcrafted these silver pieces using a mind-boggling 180 kgs of the precious metal. A total of 12 peacocks and veenas were made using at least 2 kgs of silver per piece. Apart from these, figurines of Charminar and Kakatiya Kala Toranam of Warangal were made to distribute to other invitees on the stage. The GO instructs immediate release of Rs 83,43,000 which is 50percent of the total Rs 1,66,86,000.
Many netizens called this abuse of public funds and demanded why the government didn’t bother to spend such money for building toilets in government schools. BJP Telangana State president Dr K Lakshman stated that CM Chandra Shekara Rao thinks that he is a ‘maharaja’ to splurge so much. Even Congress leader Dasoju Sravan took to twitter to express his displeasure. He said “Telangana being a debt trapped state, it is absurd, outrageous and abuse of authority by @TelanganaCMO in his gifts 2VIPs at Kaleshwaram worth Rs1.66 crores burdening exchequer”.