Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said that Telangana is the number one in the country in per capita income and other development indices, and asked the people to bless his government once again for the rapid progress to continue in the future.

The state is set to hold Assembly polls by the end of the year.

Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for a super-specialty hospital at Patancheru near here, Rao pointed out that Telangana's per capita income of Rs 3.17 lakh was the highest in the country.

"Many doubts were created about development at the time of Telangana formation in 2014, including that the state would plunge into darkness due to power shortage," he said. "However, Telangana is the only state in the country now to provide 24x7 power supply, including domestic and industrial consumers, and also to supply piped drinking water to every household." Telangana is also number one in the country in per capita power utilisation, KCR further said.

Earlier in the day, Rao inaugurated a double-bedroom housing complex for the poor built by the state government at Kollur in neighbouring Sangareddy district.

The complex, in which 15,660 dwelling units of 2BHK houses were built with a project cost of Rs 1489.29 crore in over 145 acres, is said to be the "largest double-bedroom housing colony in Asia".

Speaking about this initiative of the state government, he said the type of double-bedroom housing units built for the poor does not exist anywhere in the country.

Similarly, the supply of drinking water in the state is also unmatched anywhere else in the country, he said, adding that the state government had addressed water shortage by taking up the mega Kaleswaram project.

Referring to welfare measures in the health sector, including the provision of nutrition kits for pregnant women named KCR Kits, and the establishment of new government hospitals, he said the rapid progress in the state can be continued if the people bless the government again in the future.

Citing TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu's assertion that land value was higher in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as smaller pieces of land in that state were being sold to purchase more land in Telangana earlier, KCR said that is not the case now. "The situation has reversed," Rao said. "Now, more land can be purchased in AP by selling off land less in size in Telangana." Speaking about infrastructure development, Rao also promised that a metro rail connection would be sanctioned from Patancheru to Hayatnagar in Hyderabad in the first cabinet meeting to be held if the BRS is elected for a third term after the Assembly elections that are to be held later this year.

Separately, the chief minister inaugurated a rail coach factory in the private sector at Kondakal in the district.

Speaking at the event, he assured the state government's help and support to the company.

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