CM Revanth Reddy Unveils NTR Statue at Hyderabad's Ameerpet
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced on 28 May 2026 that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy unveiled a statue of former undivided Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) at the Maitrivan Chowrasta, Ameerpet, Hyderabad, invoking the legacies of NTR and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as guiding inspirations for his government's welfare and development agenda.
Context
The statue unveiling was attended by Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, and Mohammed Azharuddin, along with Members of Parliament, MLAs, NTR's sons Nandamuri Ramakrishna and Mohan Krishna, family members, film personalities, and fans. Speaking at the event, CM Revanth Reddy called the occasion 'a sweet memory that will remain with me for a lifetime.'
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said: 'Anyone who wants to read the history of this country and seek inspiration must remember Constitution-maker Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Iron Lady Indira Gandhi, and the leader of Telugu pride, NTR.' He added that their legacy would endure as long as the nation exists.
Policy Backdrop
CM Revanth Reddy drew direct policy lineages from NTR's welfare programmes. He noted that NTR's landmark Rs 2-per-kg rice scheme — launched in 1983 for low-income households in undivided Andhra Pradesh — inspired Telangana's current rice distribution to 3.24 crore beneficiaries. He also cited NTR's koodu, gudda, needa (food, clothing, shelter) framework as the template for multiple ongoing welfare schemes.
The Chief Minister referenced NTR's implementation of Rajiv Gandhi's 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which mandated women's reservations in local bodies, saying his government now demands 33 per cent women's reservation in Parliament and will support any such move on the floor of the House. He also highlighted the Indiramma Sarees scheme — distributed as gifts to daughters — as a successor to NTR's Janata Vastram (people's clothing) programme.
Stakeholders and Impact
The event carried significance across multiple constituencies: Telugu cultural identity, Congress's national political inheritance via the Indira Gandhi legacy, and Telangana's welfare recipients who benefit directly from schemes modelled on NTR-era programmes. The Chief Minister's framing — 'the coming together of Indiramma's blessings and NTR's inspiration is today's people's governance' — signals an effort to build cross-party symbolic capital ahead of future electoral cycles.
NTR's family members and film industry representatives at the event underscored the cultural dimension of the tribute, given NTR's towering stature as one of Telugu cinema's most iconic actors before his entry into politics and founding of the Telugu Desam Party in 1982.
What's Next
CM Revanth Reddy reiterated his government's ambition to elevate Telangana to 'international standards,' anchored by the proposed #BharatFutureCity — a 30,000-acre integrated urban project designed to attract global corporations and, in his words, 'not just bring companies here but groom Telangana's youth to become owners of major companies.' The government's ability to secure land, investment commitments, and parliamentary support for women's reservation will be the key tests of these twin pledges in the months ahead.