BRS MLC Sravan hits out Congress govt amid growing fiscal stress on Telangana
BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan alleged that the latest CAG report exposed Telangana's worsening financial position, citing a revenue deficit despite a surplus budget. He questioned the government's borrowing, infrastructure plans and ability to fulfil election promises amid rising debt
Hyderabad: BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan slammed the Congress government for pushing Telangana into a deep financial crisis, with the latest CAG report exposing a widening gap between the State’s budget projections and actual finances. He pointed out that the State government had presented a revenue surplus budget of Rs 6,857 crore, but recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 12,289 crore in the first quarter itself.
Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan here, Sravan feared that the revenue deficit could widen substantially by the end of the fiscal if the current trend continued. He stated that tax collections, including GST, had fallen short of targets, while excise revenue had reached only a fraction of the budget estimates.
“Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy made 75 trips to New Delhi, but failed to secure adequate Central grants,” he said, adding that the Central grants were just five per cent of the budget estimates.
Amid a sharp rise in the State debt, the BRS MLC questioned how the government would fulfil its electoral promises or finance major infrastructure projects, including the proposed Future City. He also pointed out that taking over the Hyderabad Metro project had added a debt burden of about Rs 12,000 crore.
Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Sravan accused the Congress government of financial mismanagement and neglecting governance. He said the Chief Minister and his Ministers were resorting to rhetoric instead of addressing the State’s fiscal challenges. He added that public finances were deteriorating even as the government continued to increase borrowings.
