With new symbols and song, Congress seeks to decouple Telangana from BRS

Telangana will now be abbreviated to TG and not TS in vehicle registration plates as well as in all official correspondence, the Revanth Reddy-led cabinet decided on Sunday, ahead of the budget session that begins on February 8. The government also decided to redesign the state emblem and adopt a new anthem.

In different decisions representing the aspirations of the Telangana agitation, the cabinet decided to change the state's official symbol in a way that it "reflects the people without any trace of monarchy," state Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said.

The Cabinet decided to adopt 'Jaya Jaya He Telangana', a popular song written by poet Ande Sri, as the official song.

The Congress government has accused the previous regime to have chosen 'TS' for vehicle numbers to match their party name. K Chandrashekar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi was known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS at the time of Telangana state formation.

Chief Minister Reddy also decided to remake the Telangana Talli statue in a new look. The symbolic Mother Goddess was designed by the BRS government.

Briefing reporters Sunday night after the cabinet meeting, state IT Minister D Sridhar Babu said the Assembly session would be held from February 8 and would begin with the address of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

He said the implementation of two more 'guarantees' would be announced by the Chief Minister on the floor of the house during the Assembly session.

Out of the six poll 'guarantees' announced by the Congress, the government had earlier initiated implementation of two promises -- free travel in state-run RTC buses for women and the health scheme of Rs 10 lakh to poor.

The Cabinet approved the government decision to conduct a 'caste census' in the state which was announced earlier.

The Cabinet also decided to revive the state-run Nizam Sugars Factory and to establish Kodangal Area Development Authority. Kodangal is the Assembly constituency represented by CM Revanth Reddy.