Congress white paper on Telangana State finances raises more questions than answers

From the opposition benches to within the party itself, the decision to open up the government's financial workings for public scrutiny has prompted criticism

Hyderabad: The release of the State government’s white paper on the State’s finances has triggered multiple internal debates within the Congress, raising questions about the strategic wisdom behind the move. From the opposition benches to within the party itself, the decision to open up the government’s financial workings for public scrutiny has prompted criticism.

One of the key points of contention revolves around the perceived lack of coordination within the State government. The absence of a unified front was glaringly evident when the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other Ministers offered disparate responses to queries posed by the Opposition. The contradictory statements from Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikarmarka that the State economy was destroyed and from Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu that the State was not bankrupt and that no State could progress without obtaining loans, only added fuel to the fire.

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In an ironic twist, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy asserted that the white paper was not intended for political criticism or to defame anyone in particular, but only to present facts to the people. Yet the internal disconnect and conflicting statements seemed to suggest otherwise.

Adding to the woes, the Congress found itself on the wrong foot on several occasions. Deviating from established practices, the State government tabled the white paper in the House, but did not initiate the discussion. Instead, the Speaker asked the Opposition to start the discussion. It was only after former Finance Minister T Harish Rao, AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and Congress ally CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao suggested that the members cannot participate in the discussion on the State finances without studying the report that the treasury benches conceded and agreed for a tea break, creating an impression of unpreparedness or lack of a strategy.

In an attempt to disrupt Harish Rao, several Ministers committed faux pas. For instance, Environment and Forests Minister Konda Surekha found fault with the BRS government’s decision to demolish old buildings of Warangal prison and construct a new multi-super specialty hospital in the centre of the city. When Harish Rao asked whether she wanted the prison to be in the city centre, she tried to explain and committed another mistake, stating that the hospital on Warangal outskirts would have been more convenient to patients.

There are whispers among Congress circles that the attempt to gain political advantage by discrediting the previous government might have backfired. Some party members are questioning the necessity of the white paper, with concerns that it may have inadvertently constrained the State’s ability to secure fresh loans and investments, potentially limiting future financial flexibility. Several Congress leaders opined that the white paper seems to have raised more questions than answers.

Similarly when Harish Rao and Akbaruddin Owaisi pointed out multiple discrepancies in the statistics presented in the white paper, the State government could not come up with a satisfactory explanation, prompting Owaisi to demand action against the officials who committed the errors.