Sun Mar 30 17:43:26 UTC 2025: ## Telangana’s Congress Government Unveils Ambitious Development Model

**Hyderabad, March 30, 2025** – Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister, Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, has declared the state’s Congress government is creating a new development model prioritizing both robust economic growth and social inclusion. This model, he stated in an exclusive interview with *The Hindu*, aligns with Rahul Gandhi’s vision of social justice, secularism, and inclusive growth.

The Congress party, having won the 2023 Assembly elections on a platform of six welfare guarantees (including free bus rides for women and free electricity), has expanded its initiatives beyond these promises. The recently unveiled state budget allocates significant funds to transformative schemes in education, women’s welfare, and tribal welfare.

A key initiative is the Young India Integrated Residential Schools scheme, named after Mahatma Gandhi’s magazine, with a ₹11,600 crore investment. The plan is to establish one such world-class school in each assembly constituency, providing residential facilities and advanced technology to students from all social backgrounds.

The government also emphasizes empowering marginalized communities. Utilizing data from a completed caste census, the government aims for targeted welfare programs. The budget includes ₹40,232 crore for Scheduled Caste welfare and ₹17,169 crore for Scheduled Tribe welfare, notably reinstating the previously ignored SC/ST Sub-Plan. The Indira Giri Jalvikasam scheme will provide 2.1 lakh tribal farmers with free solar-powered irrigation systems.

Furthermore, the government is promoting women’s entrepreneurship through self-help groups (SHGs), involving them in paddy procurement, granting them contracts for government building maintenance, and even facilitating the establishment of petrol pumps. A new scheme will offer ₹4 lakh to eligible youth to start enterprises, with reserved plots in industrial parks for women and SC/ST entrepreneurs.

The government also highlights its commitment to economic growth, attracting significant investment. Following a January trip to Davos, at least 16 global companies have pledged investments totaling ₹1.78 lakh crore in sectors such as green energy, defense, and data infrastructure. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu expressed confidence that Telangana’s status as a prime investment destination will be further strengthened under this new model.

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