Hyderabad: Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir led the 79th Independence Day celebrations in Adilabad, linking freedom to inclusive and timely welfare delivery.
At the Police Parade Ground, he hoisted the National Flag, saluted freedom fighters, and said the real test of governance was ensuring that food security, pensions, affordable cooking gas, drinking water, housing, healthcare, education, and urban services reached every eligible citizen on time. “Welfare is not charity. It is a constitutional promise that safeguards dignity and opportunity for people with low income,” he said.
Women’s mobility and household savings
Placing women’s mobility at the forefront, Shabbir Ali recalled the launch of free bus travel for women on December 9, 2023. Since then, women have made 2.39 crore journeys on TSRTC buses, saving households ₹82.88 crore. He described the scheme as direct relief for family budgets.
Public distribution and gas subsidy
Shabbir Ali said food security remained a core priority. The state spends ₹13,000 crore annually to distribute 3.10 lakh metric tonnes of superfine rice to 1.92 crore ration-card holders. Since July 14, Adilabad has issued 23,075 new ration cards and restored 31,319. To keep cooking gas affordable, the government provides a ₹500-per-cylinder subsidy, covering 4.33 lakh LPG refills at a cost of ₹11.31 crore.
Drinking water security
He reported that 1.02 lakh households in Adilabad receive 200 litres of safe water daily, benefiting 16.78 lakh people at an expenditure of ₹55.98 crore.
Farmer welfare and procurement
Shabbir Ali said the government invested ₹1.13 lakh crore in farmer welfare. Under Indiramma Rythu Bharosa, each farmer received ₹12,000 in input assistance, with ₹9,000 crore transferred within nine days of the June 16 launch. Procurement centres 7,178 in total purchased every grain produced, with a ₹500-per-quintal bonus for fine paddy. More than 29 lakh farmers now get free quality power worth ₹16,691 crore annually.
Ahead of the monsoon, the state delivered 74,266 tonnes of fertiliser. Through Bhu Bharati grievance camps, citizens lodged 11,994 petitions; officials have resolved 2,897 so far.
Housing initiatives
Under Indiramma Housing, 3,500 homes were sanctioned per constituency. Adilabad received 9,093 houses; 7,134 are grounded and 3,486 under construction. Beneficiaries received ₹29.68 crore directly in their accounts. Targeted housing included 5,080 units for Particularly Vulnerable Traditional Groups and 1,869 units for Scheduled Community families.
Health and education
In health, 25,051 Adilabad residents used Aarogyasri for procedures worth ₹60.89 crore. The RIMS Critical Care Bhavan is undergoing a ₹23-crore upgrade.
In education, 57,481 students attend 694 government schools. The Badi Bata programme secured 1,495 new admissions. Special classes for Class 10 students helped achieve a 97.40% pass rate, ranking ninth in the state. Girls in 163 Samagra Shiksha schools receive self-defence training under the Rani Lakshmibai Atma Rakshana Pariyojana.
Community welfare
Marriage aid under Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak reached 40,103 families, with higher support for couples including a person with a disability. Women’s self-help groups provided uniforms to 95,097 students, secured ₹61.86 crore in bank loans, and accessed ₹7.24 crore from the Women’s Fund.
The Employment Guarantee Scheme created 34.97 lakh workdays, paid ₹96.62 crore in wages, and planted 23.48 lakh saplings. Pensions worth ₹17.26 crore are distributed monthly to 73,418 beneficiaries under the Cheyutha scheme.
Long-term economic vision
Concluding, Shabbir Ali outlined Telangana’s long-term targets: a ₹1-trillion economy by 2035 and ₹3-trillion by 2047. He urged leaders, officials, and citizens to unite for the “Telangana@2047” vision, adding that Independence Day would be fully honoured only when every entitlement reached its beneficiary in full and on time.
