BRS Working President KT Rama Rao led grand May Day celebrations at Telangana Bhavan, where he hoisted the party’s labor wing flag and shared a meal with workers. The event witnessed large participation from several labor union leaders and workers from across the state. During his address, KTR launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, accusing it of abandoning workers and laborers who were once supported by the previous BRS administration.
KTR highlighted that the KCR government had stood as a strong support system for migrant laborers in Hyderabad, visiting labor camps and taking necessary actions to protect their interests. He contrasted this with the current government’s handling of recent tragedies, specifically mentioning the Srisailam Left Canal Bank Tunnel incident where workers died and bodies could not be retrieved. He also referenced the Sigachi Industries fire that claimed nearly 60 lives, alleging that the government failed to provide adequate care or the promised compensation to affected families.
The BRS Working President accused the Congress government of sending bulldozers to demolish homes of laborers and workers who came to the city seeking livelihoods. He stated that despite promises to implement six guarantees within 100 days, nearly two and a half years have passed without any meaningful action. KTR criticized the government for citing debts as an excuse while allegedly borrowing three lakh seventy thousand crores during their tenure without benefiting the common people.
KTR shared a specific example of an auto driver who personally drove Rahul Gandhi during election campaigning but was later forced to sell his two autos and become a laborer. He claimed that the government which promised support to auto drivers during elections has now turned its back on them. The BRS leader emphasized that the previous government had launched numerous welfare programs for 27 lakh construction workers through the Building Construction Workers Welfare Board.
According to KTR, the KCR government provided accident insurance, healthcare, marriage gifts, maternity benefits, and KCR kits to workers. He alleged that the current administration has canceled insurance for auto drivers and other transport sector workers without renewing them. The BRS Working President stated that the previous government’s five lakh accident insurance scheme has been discontinued, along with accident insurance for Gita workers and Neta workers.
KTR asserted that the worker welfare programs implemented during the BRS government’s tenure in Telangana were unmatched by red flag parties anywhere else in the country. He highlighted that KCR provided pensions to beedi workers in a manner that doesn’t exist elsewhere in India. The former government substantially increased salaries for Anganwadi workers and sanitation workers, enabling them to stand on their own feet with dignity.
The BRS Working President criticized the current government’s approach toward Anganwadi workers demanding salary increases, alleging that they are being arrested for their demands. KTR quoted Chief Minister Revanth Reddy as saying that salaries cannot be increased even if workers stop eating, presenting this as evidence of the government’s insensitive attitude toward laborers.
The May Day event at Telangana Bhavan served as a platform for KTR to outline the differences between the previous BRS government’s approach to worker welfare and the current administration’s policies. The gathering of labor union leaders and workers demonstrated continued engagement between the BRS party and the labor community in Telangana.
