The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) intends to set up a dedicated ministry for the welfare of Non-resident Indians (NRIs) on the lines of the Kerala government’s initiative if it comes to power in Telangana.

Revealing this, K. Kavitha, daughter of the party’s President K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency candidate, said, if TRS forms the government in the new state, it would help Gulf returnees by providing them loans ranging from 100,000 rupees to one million rupees. This would help them set up small and medium business enterprises.

Speaking to Arab News in the course of her electioneering in Nizamabad, Kavitha said these commitments to the NRI community, particularly those in the Gulf, were part of the party manifesto.

She said that the Telangana Jagruthi, a socio-cultural organization she heads, in collaboration with the Gulf Telangana Welfare Association, has helped over 1,500 stranded NRIs in the Gulf to return home by clearing their dues and paying for their tickets.

“We are keen on setting up a separate ministry because the welfare activities of NRIs should be taken up at the governmental level,” she said.

Combining confidence with a touch of caution, the 36-year-old politician believes that it would be a “hands down” victory for TRS in Telangana, bagging a majority of the 17 Lok Sabha seats and 119 State Assembly segments in the new state.

“TRS is the voice of Telangana people, and just as the late N. T. Rama Rao launched the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on the platform of Telugu Atma Gouravam (Telugu self pride), TRS stands for Telangana pride,” she said.

Kavitha is however, quick to add that the party was still in the agitation mode, and many of its members were not hardcore politicians.

“I would give my party 70 percent chance of forming the government in the new state and we are banking on our slogan for self rule rather than parties from outside,” she said.

When asked whether the accusations of dynastic rule go against the party, she said: “I can’t deny that there is an element of dynasty, with my father, brother and cousin also in the electoral fray. But this is democracy. Just because I am KCR’s daughter, I can’t be denied the opportunity to contest. In any case, if I don’t perform, I am going to lose the next time I contest. But it’s not fair to deny me an opportunity just because I am KCR’s daughter,” she said.