‘Centre presenting awards, but not giving any support for Telangana’s development’

Even though State winning several national awards, Union Ministers who were visiting Telangana were resorting to political mudslinging on the State government, apart from alleging that the State was not performing.

Hyderabad: Pat on the back with one hand, stab and sling mud with the other. That appears to be the union government’s approach, and that of its Ministers, towards Telangana in recent times.

The last week is a classic example of this, with the State winning several national awards, right from the Swachh Sarvekshan rankings and the Indian Swachhata League awards to the National Tourism awards and the Jal Jeevan Mission award. Even as the award spree continued, Union Ministers who were visiting Telangana were resorting to political mudslinging on the State government, apart from alleging that the State was not performing.

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On Thursday, exposing the double standards of the Centre and its Ministers, State Cabinet Ministers launched a scathing attack, demanding that instead of just announcing awards to Telangana, the Centre should also set aside politics and support performing States like Telangana by releasing due funds.

Reacting to Telangana’s flagship Mission Bhagiratha winning the national award for providing safe drinking water to all rural households, TRS working president and Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao slammed the union government for recognising Telangana’s achievement on one hand, but not providing financial support for the very same Mission Bhagiratha on the other.

”Thanks for the recognition, but it would be befitting if the NDA government can honour the recommendation of NITI Ayog to grant Rs 19,000 crore to this pioneering project,” he tweeted.

Speaking to the media on the issue, Finance Minister T Harish Rao ridiculed the double-tongued attitude of the union Ministers who were presenting awards to the Telangana government in Delhi, but purposefully criticising the same government politically.

”If they have the guts, the union Ministers should first release the funds pending to the State. They can criticise us if we fail to utilise the funds properly. The Centre has been ignoring the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission and delaying release of funds to the State,” he said.

Harish Rao also pointed out, quite pertinently, that the union government had lauded and also copied several schemes launched by Telangana, including Rythu Bandhu, Mission Bhagiratha and the 1962 mobile veterinary clinics among other schemes. The Centre had even termed Mission Bhagiratha as an inspiration to its Jal Jeevan Mission in a recent letter to the State government.

”Every other day, a Union Minister is visiting the State and making sweeping remarks on corruption and irregularities against the State government. But none of them took any initiative or announced any measures to support the State in its endeavours, despite repeated requests from us,” he added.

Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao stated that while Telangana was among the top States that received the highest number of awards from various departments at the national level, it had received minimal financial support from the union government for its achievements.

Only 50 per cent households in the country have drinking water connections, but Telangana had completed provision of drinking water connections to all 54 lakh households in the State, still the Centre was not honouring even recommendations of the Niti Ayog to grant funds to the project.