HYDERABAD — Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Telangana state government, demanding an immediate reduction in Value Added Tax on petrol and diesel — pointing out that Telangana levies the highest VAT on fuel anywhere in the country, even as the central government moves decisively to shield citizens from rising oil prices triggered by the Israel-America-Iran war.

Addressing a press conference at CGI Towers in Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy outlined the measures taken by the central government to ensure adequate supplies of LPG, petrol, and diesel across Telangana — while simultaneously putting the state government firmly on the spot over its fuel tax policy.

Telangana Charges Highest VAT in India

The numbers Kishan Reddy placed before the public were stark and difficult to dispute.

Telangana has been levying VAT at 35.20 percent on petrol and diesel — the highest rate in the entire country — for the past twelve consecutive years. Not once in that period, the minister pointed out, has the state government seen fit to reduce this burden on its citizens by even a single paisa.

The contrast with neighbouring states makes the figure even harder to justify. Andhra Pradesh levies VAT at 31 percent. Karnataka charges 29 percent. Maharashtra imposes just 26 percent. Yet Telangana — governed first by the BRS and now by the Congress — has maintained its 35.20 percent rate without revision.

"Why is Telangana levying 35.20 percent when neighbouring states charge significantly less?" Kishan Reddy demanded. "Why has this not been reduced? The Congress party beats the drum about KCR's people-friendly governance — but in twelve years, not one paisa of VAT has been cut. Reduce it now."

The minister's challenge was direct and unambiguous — and it placed the Telangana government in an uncomfortable position at a time when fuel prices are already under pressure from global conflict.

Centre Acts to Cushion Global Oil Price Shock

Kishan Reddy made clear that the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved proactively to protect Indian citizens from the price shocks rippling out of the Middle East conflict.

With the Israel-America-Iran war disrupting global oil markets and pushing crude prices upward, the central government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel — a direct intervention designed to prevent pump prices from spiralling out of control.

The minister urged state governments across the country to follow the centre's lead by cutting their own VAT rates — reducing the cumulative tax burden on fuel and passing the benefit directly to consumers. Telangana, he made clear, has the most room to move — and the most obligation to act.

Ample Stocks — No Need for Panic

Turning to address growing public anxiety over fuel availability, Kishan Reddy was reassuring and categorical.

Telangana has abundant stocks of LPG, petrol, and diesel, he said. There is no shortage. There is no crisis. And there is absolutely no reason for citizens to panic.

Oil companies are currently providing a three-day credit facility to petrol and gas agencies — a measure designed to ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply across the state. The pipeline of fuel into Telangana remains fully functional, and the central government is working actively to ensure that oil and gas supplies reach India on schedule despite the turbulence in global markets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kishan Reddy added, is personally monitoring the situation — a signal of the seriousness with which the central government is treating the issue.

The minister also urged citizens to use LPG, petrol, and diesel conservatively and responsibly during this period of global uncertainty — a call for collective prudence rather than panic buying.

No Lockdown — Stop the Rumours

Kishan Reddy used the press conference to address one of the most damaging pieces of misinformation currently circulating on social media — the claim that India is preparing to impose a fresh lockdown.

The rumour, he said, originated from a misreading and misrepresentation of Prime Minister Modi's recent remarks in the Lok Sabha. Social media users have uploaded thousands of posts falsely claiming that a lockdown is imminent — posts that have spread rapidly and caused unnecessary alarm among the public.

"Do not believe these rumours," Kishan Reddy said firmly. "There is no lockdown coming. The Prime Minister's words have been taken completely out of context and twisted beyond recognition."

Arrest Those Spreading Rumours

The minister reserved his sharpest words for those deliberately spreading false information on social media — and he had a specific request for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

It is social media videos and fake news posts, Kishan Reddy argued, that have caused vehicle owners to queue up at petrol stations in panic — creating artificial demand and long lines at pumps that would otherwise be functioning normally. The same misinformation has created what he described as a "fire in kitchens" over LPG cylinder availability — panicking households into hoarding behaviour that serves no one.

"We have requested Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to arrest those who are creating and spreading rumours on social media," Kishan Reddy said — a demand that underscores the seriousness with which authorities are treating the misinformation problem.

Industry Representatives Present

The press conference brought together senior officials from India's major oil marketing companies alongside representatives of Telangana's petroleum and LPG dealer communities.

Present at the event were Indian Oil Corporation Executive Director Piyush Mittal, BPCL Chief General Manager (Retail) Nitish Selukar, HPCL Chief General Manager (Retail) Sushil Kumar Ray, Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association President Amarendra Reddy, and State LPG Owners Association President Jaganmohan Reddy, along with other senior officials.

Their collective presence at the press conference was itself a message — that the fuel supply chain in Telangana, from the national oil companies down to the local dealer level, is functioning normally and is committed to meeting public demand.

The Political Subtext

Saturday's press conference was simultaneously a public reassurance exercise and a pointed political attack — and Kishan Reddy made no attempt to disguise either dimension.

By highlighting Telangana's 35.20 percent VAT rate and the state government's twelve-year failure to reduce it — under both BRS and Congress administrations — the Union Minister placed a clear political marker. At a time when global oil prices are rising and the central government is cutting excise duty to protect consumers, Telangana's continued imposition of the country's highest fuel VAT becomes an increasingly difficult position to defend.

The ball, Kishan Reddy made abundantly clear, is now firmly in the Telangana government's court.

The Telangana state government had not responded to Minister Kishan Reddy's statements at the time of publication. This report will be updated as further developments emerge.

HYDERABAD — Two of Telangana's most prominent government doctors' associations have come out in strong opposition to a state government proposal that would place Group-1 administrative officers in charge of teaching hospitals — warning that the move would undermine the authority of medical superintendents, compromise patient care, and set a dangerous precedent unprecedented anywhere else in India.

The Telangana Government Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) and the Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA) both issued sharp statements on Saturday, demanding that the government immediately reconsider the proposal and consult recognised medical associations before proceeding further.

"Superintendents Will Become Figureheads"

The TGGDA was unsparing in its criticism of the proposal. In a strongly worded statement, the association warned that placing Group-1 officers in administrative roles within government teaching hospitals would directly erode the powers of existing hospital superintendents — reducing them to mere figureheads with no real authority over the institutions they are supposed to lead.

TGGDA President Narahari and General Secretary Lalu Prasad Rathod argued that there is simply no compelling justification for transferring administrative responsibilities from medically qualified superintendents to Group-1 civil service officers.

"Administrative responsibilities do not need to be handed over to Group-1 officers," the two leaders said in a joint statement. "The current system, where qualified medical professionals oversee hospital administration, works — and there is no reason to dismantle it."

The association also expressed deep displeasure over what it described as a complete lack of consultation with recognised medical bodies before the proposal was floated. That recognised associations were not even approached for their views on a matter of such profound consequence, the statement said, is "condemnable" — a word that reflects the depth of the medical community's frustration.

No Precedent Anywhere in India

The TTGDA went a step further, placing the proposal in its national context — and the picture it painted was damning.

"This practice does not exist in any other state in the country," the association declared flatly. Not one Indian state has handed over the administration of teaching hospitals to Group-1 civil service officers — making Telangana's proposal not just controversial, but entirely without precedent in Indian healthcare administration.

TTGDA President B. Kiran and Secretary Madala Kiran articulated the core argument against the proposal with clarity and force. Running a teaching hospital effectively, they said, requires two distinct and equally important competencies — administrative understanding and medical knowledge. These are not separate skill sets that can be divided between a civil servant and a doctor. They must exist together, in the same person, at the helm of the institution.

"Only doctors can fulfill these responsibilities," the TTGDA leaders said. "A teaching hospital is not a government office. It is a complex medical institution where administrative decisions have direct consequences for patient outcomes, medical education, and the quality of healthcare delivered to the public."

What Is at Stake

To understand why Telangana's doctors are so alarmed, it is important to appreciate what teaching hospitals actually do — and why their administration is fundamentally different from that of other government institutions.

Teaching hospitals serve a dual purpose. They are simultaneously centres of advanced medical care — often the last resort for patients with complex and life-threatening conditions — and institutions of medical education, where the next generation of doctors, nurses, and specialists are trained. The decisions made by hospital superintendents every day involve clinical judgement, resource allocation, staff management, and medical ethics in ways that simply cannot be separated from medical expertise.

Handing that authority to a Group-1 officer — however competent in general administration — would, the associations argue, create a dangerous disconnect between administrative authority and medical reality. The superintendent, stripped of real power, would be unable to respond effectively to the clinical and operational demands of a major teaching hospital. Patients, medical students, and the broader public healthcare system would all suffer the consequences.

A Demand for Dialogue

Both associations have stopped short of issuing an ultimatum — for now. But the message to the Telangana government is clear, consistent, and urgent: this proposal must not move forward without meaningful consultation with the medical community.

The TGGDA has explicitly called on the government to engage with recognised medical associations before taking any further steps. The TTGDA has demanded an immediate reversal of the proposal in its current form.

Neither association has indicated what further action it may take if the government presses ahead without dialogue — but the strength of feeling in Telangana's government medical community suggests that the response would be swift and significant.

Government Yet to Respond

The Telangana state government had not issued a formal response to the associations' statements at the time of publication. The Health Ministry was not immediately available for comment.

What is clear, however, is that the proposal has touched a raw nerve in a medical community that already bears enormous pressure — managing some of the state's most critical healthcare institutions with limited resources and growing patient loads.

For Telangana's government doctors, this is not merely an administrative dispute. It is a question of professional identity, institutional integrity, and ultimately, the quality of healthcare that the state's most vulnerable citizens receive.

And on that question, they are not prepared to stay silent.

The Telangana government had not responded to the associations' statements at the time of publication. This report will be updated as further developments emerge.

HYDERABAD — Forget the assembly floor. Forget the heated debates, the political point-scoring, and the relentless grind of governance.

On Saturday, Telangana's legislators traded their suits for sports kits — and LB Stadium has never seen anything quite like it.

The first-ever Legislators Sports and Cultural Meet 2026 threw open its doors at the iconic Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad, bringing together MLAs, MLCs, MPs, ministers, and the Chief Minister himself in a spectacle that was one part sporting competition, one part political theatre, and entirely, gloriously, human.

It was history. And it was a lot of fun.

Eleven Years in the Making

Think about this for a moment.

Telangana has existed as a state for over a decade. In that time, its legislators have debated budgets, passed laws, fought elections, and argued across the aisle with the full-throated passion that Indian democracy demands.

But never — not once in eleven years — had the state's MLAs and MLCs come together for a sporting and cultural event of their own.

Until Saturday.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, and Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukender Reddy jointly inaugurated the meet in a ceremony that set the tone for an evening of laughter, competition, and genuine cross-party warmth. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, cabinet ministers, MPs, MLCs, and MLAs filled the stadium with an energy that felt less like a government function and more like a school sports day — the best possible kind.

Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar captured the mood perfectly. "Leaders who are constantly busy with public issues and politics can relieve stress and relax through sports and cultural activities," he said. "When members of all parties play and perform together, a festive atmosphere is created — and we send a positive message to society."

He was not wrong. The atmosphere was festive. Infectiously so.

The Chief Minister Has Four Goals to His Name

Here is something you do not read in political dispatches every day: the Chief Minister of Telangana scored four goals in a football match on Saturday evening.

Four. Goals.

Revanth Reddy — already known for his boundless energy and his love of sport — threw himself into the football competition with an enthusiasm that left the crowd thoroughly entertained. In a move that drew equal parts applause and amusement, the Chief Minister switched teams mid-game to bolster Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar's side — a gesture of solidarity that said more about the spirit of the evening than any speech could.

By the final whistle, he had four goals to his name and the Man of the Match award in his pocket.

Not bad for a Chief Minister.

The kabaddi competition was no less entertaining. Speaker Prasad Kumar flagged off the contest with suitable ceremony, and Team A claimed a spirited victory over Team B in a match that had the crowd roaring. Sports Minister Srihari's team also tasted victory — the minister presumably feeling rather vindicated given his portfolio.

Meanwhile, Nagarjunasagar MLA Jaiveer scored the opening goal of the football match for the CM's team — a moment that will presumably feature prominently in future campaign materials.

MLAs, MPs, and MLCs who probably last laced up a pair of sports shoes during their college days rediscovered muscles they had forgotten they had. Some were graceful. Some were enthusiastic. All of them were smiling.

The Message Beneath the Medals

But strip away the fun and the football, and there is a serious point at the heart of Saturday's event — one that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made with characteristic bluntness.

Telangana's youth are at a crossroads. And the Chief Minister has chosen his side.

"Leave the path of intoxication. Take the path of the field."

That is the message Revanth Reddy has been carrying across the state — through the CM Cup competitions that his government has run from village level all the way up to the state level, and now through Saturday's legislators' meet. The philosophy is simple: give young people a reason to run toward something, rather than escape into something.

"We are keeping youth away from pubs, feasts, farmhouse parties, drugs, cannabis, and intoxication," the Chief Minister said, his tone sharpening noticeably as he addressed the opposition's decision to boycott the event. Some opposition MLAs and MLCs had announced they would not participate — a choice Revanth Reddy dismissed with barely concealed disdain.

"They are only thinking about farmhouse parties," he said. "We are steering youth away from all of that."

His address to the state's students was passionate and personal. "Develop an interest in sports. Excel in them. Enhance the recognition and honour of the country. You will also have the opportunity to build your own future," he urged — words that carried the weight of a government that believes sport is not a luxury but a lifeline.

The CM Cup programme, he explained, was designed specifically to "unearth diamonds hidden in the soil of rural areas" — a recognition that sporting talent in Telangana does not only grow in city academies and expensive coaching centres, but in dusty village fields where children play barefoot under the afternoon sun.

Promises From the Podium

The Chief Minister did not leave the stadium without making commitments.

The Begumpet Hockey Stadium, he announced, will be developed and upgraded by the state government — a pledge that will be welcomed by hockey enthusiasts across Telangana who have long called for better facilities.

He also revisited one of his government's more colourful political controversies — the furore that erupted when his administration invited global football icon Lionel Messi to Telangana. The opposition had criticised the move as an expensive vanity project. Revanth Reddy, characteristically, was unapologetic. It was about inspiration, he maintained — about showing young Telangana what the world's best looks like, and daring them to dream accordingly.

Athletes who excel in sport, he added, will be honoured and recognised by his government. In Telangana, he made clear, a gold medal and a government job are not mutually exclusive ambitions.

Politics on Pause

Perhaps the most striking image of Saturday evening was not the Chief Minister's fourth goal, or the kabaddi final, or the opening ceremony. It was something simpler and more profound.

It was the sight of legislators from rival parties — people who spend their professional lives arguing, debating, and opposing each other across the assembly chamber — standing on the same field, playing the same game, and cheering for the same moments.

Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar put it best. "Elections are for politics," he said. "The rest of the time, we should all live together in harmony."

For one Saturday evening at LB Stadium, they did exactly that.

Telangana's lawmakers showed up, laced up, and played — and in doing so, reminded a watching state that behind every political title and every assembly seat is a human being who once played cricket in the street, kicked a football in a field, and felt the simple, uncomplicated joy of sport.

That joy was back on Saturday. And Hyderabad loved every minute of it.

The Legislators Sports and Cultural Meet 2026 continues with additional sporting and cultural events at LB Stadium. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's Man of the Match award is, we are told, already framed.

హైదరాబాద్: రాష్ట్రంలోని అన్ని దేవాలయాల అభివృద్ధి పనుల్లో స్థానిక సెంటిమెంట్, పూజారుల అభిప్రాయాలను గౌరవిస్తూ, వాటిని పరిగణనలోకి తీసుకోవాలని ముఖ్యమంత్రి రేవంత్‌రెడ్డి అధికారులకు సూచించారు. సోమవారం జూబ్లీహిల్స్‌లోని సిఎం నివాసంలో మేడారం, బాసర ఆలయాల అభివృద్ధి సమీక్ష నిర్వహించారు. మంత్రులు కొండా సురేఖ, సీతక్క, పొంగులేటి శ్రీనివాస్ రెడ్డి, అడ్లూరి లక్ష్మణ్, సిఎం ప్రిన్సిపల్ సెక్రటరీ శ్రీనివాసరాజు, దేవాదాయ శాఖ ప్రిన్సిపల్ సెక్రటరీ శైలజా రామయ్యర్, ఉన్నతాధికారులు పాల్గొన్నారు.

మేడారం అభివృద్ధి పనులకు 100 రోజుల గడువు
సిఎం రేవంత్‌రెడ్డి మేడారం మహా జాతర సమయంలో భక్తులకు సౌకర్యాలు కల్పించే విధంగా ఆలయ అభివృద్ధి జరగాలని అధికారులకు సూచించారు. 100 రోజుల్లో పనులు పూర్తయ్యేలా ప్రణాళికలు రూపొందించాలని ఆదేశించారు. మేడారం అభివృద్ధిలో సహజసిద్ధమైన రాతి నిర్మాణాలు, భవిష్యత్ అవసరాలను దృష్టిలో ఉంచి ఎంట్రీ, ఎగ్జిట్, పార్కింగ్ వసతులు, జంపన్న వాగులో నీరు నిలిచేలా చెక్‌డ్యామ్‌లు నిర్మించేలా చర్యలు తీసుకోవాలని సిఎం సూచించారు. ఈ వారంలో మేడారంకు వస్తూ క్షేత్రస్థాయి పరిశీలన చేయనున్నారు.

బాసర ఆలయ విస్తరణకు సిఎం సూచనలు
జ్ఞాన సరస్వతీ దేవాలయ అభివృద్ధి, విస్తరణకు సంబంధించి సిఎం రేవంత్‌రెడ్డి పలు సూచనలు చేశారు.

సమ్మక్క-సారలమ్మ ఆలయ ఆధునీకరణ: పొంగులేటి ఆదేశాలు
గిరిజన సంప్రదాయాలను ఉట్టిపడేలా సమ్మక్క-సారలమ్మ ఆలయ ఆధునీకరణ జరగాలని ఉమ్మడి వరంగల్ జిల్లా ఇన్‌చార్జీ మంత్రి, రాష్ట్ర రెవెన్యూ, హౌసింగ్, సమాచార పౌరసంబంధాల శాఖ మంత్రి పొంగులేటి శ్రీనివాస్ రెడ్డి అధికారులు ఆదేశించారు. మేడారం మాస్టర్ ప్లాన్‌పై మూడు నెలల్లో పనులు పూర్తయ్యేలా ప్రణాళికలు రూపొందించాలని సూచించారు.

మోడరేట్ స్థాయి నిధుల కేటాయింపు
సమ్మక్క-సారలమ్మ జాతర నిర్వహణకు రూ.150 కోట్ల నిధులు కేటాయించినందుకు ముఖ్యమంత్రి రేవంత్‌రెడ్డి‌కు మంత్రి అడ్లూరి లక్ష్మణ్ కుమార్ కృతజ్ఞతలు తెలిపారు. జాతర గిరిజనుల ఆత్మగౌరవానికి ప్రతీకగా నిలుస్తుందని, ఆసియాలోనే అతిపెద్దగా మారిన ఈ జాతరను రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం ప్రతిష్టాత్మకంగా నిర్వహిస్తోందని పేర్కొన్నారు.

Hyderabad ( Journalist File ) : Telangana Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announced that the selection process for beneficiaries under the Indiramma Housing Scheme will begin on November 5 or 6. The first phase of selection, set to be completed by November 20, will be conducted through Indiramma committees at the village level, with beneficiaries chosen during gram sabhas. The Minister emphasized that only gram sabhas will be involved in the selection, with no interference from ministers, MLAs, or other leaders. The selection will focus on identifying the poorest of the poor across all communities. In this first phase, families already possessing land will be selected and provided with financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh in stages.

Funds to be Released in Four Phases

The Minister announced that homes will be sanctioned in the name of women beneficiaries. These beneficiaries will have the freedom to build houses as per their preferred design, with a minimum area of 400 square feet that includes a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. The funds—totalling ₹5 lakh—will be disbursed in four installments through the Green Channel. An initial amount of ₹1 lakh will be released upon completion of the foundation, followed by ₹1.25 lakh after the construction of walls, ₹1.75 lakh at the slab stage, and a final ₹1 lakh after the house is completed. The funds will be deposited directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts. While the government will provide ₹5 lakh, beneficiaries are welcome to invest additional funds if they wish to expand their homes, the Minister added.

Dedicated App for Real-Time Updates on Construction Progress

In line with the guidelines of the Union Government’s housing scheme, a dedicated app has been developed to monitor the construction process. According to the Minister, around 3,500 houses will be sanctioned in each constituency in the first phase, with a target of building 2 million houses over four years. The initial phase is expected to cost approximately ₹28,000 crore, with funds to be sourced through various channels. While the Union Government will provide a portion of the funding, the remaining amount will be borne by the state. The app will provide real-time updates on beneficiary selection and construction progress, aligning with the Centre's guidelines for transparency and efficiency.

Special Task Force for Oversight

To ensure proper oversight, engineering personnel from 16 departments, including Education and Police Housing, will be deployed under a single task force, with at least one or two engineers assigned to each mandal. In the second phase, landless families will receive a plot of approximately 80 square yards along with a built house. The Minister also stated that double-bedroom houses in Hyderabad would soon be handed over to selected beneficiaries. Party workers believe the Indiramma Housing Scheme will play a significant role in bringing the Congress back to power