Get your facts right, Harish tells Kishan

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday slammed Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy for misleading people regarding setting up of medical colleges in Telangana. Harish asked Kishan Reddy to get his facts right before commenting against the State government and asked the latter to exert pressure on the Central government to sanction medical […]

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday slammed Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy for misleading people regarding setting up of medical colleges in Telangana. Harish asked Kishan Reddy to get his facts right before commenting against the State government and asked the latter to exert pressure on the Central government to sanction medical colleges to the State and prove his commitment towards Telangana.

The State Health Minister reacted sharply to the Union Minister’s tweet on November 10 accusing the Telangana Government of not responding to the Centre’s letters regarding setting up of medical colleges and allocation of land to AIIMS at Bibinagar.

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Responding to it, Harish termed the claims as ‘blatant lies’. “In May 2020, Telangana Government had allocated over 201 acres to AIIMS, Bibinagar and it was acknowledged by the Central government officials. Besides, the Telangana government had handed over the entire building to the AIIMS. Perhaps no other State government had constructed and handed over a structure to AIIMS,” the Minister pointed out.

Addressing media persons here, the Health Minister charged the Central with showing discrimination against Telangana. “The Central government had sanctioned 157 medical colleges to other States but it had not sanctioned even one medical college to Telangana,” he pointed out. In 2015, former Health Minister C Laxma Reddy had personally approached the then Union Health Minister JP Nadda to upgrade district hospitals into medical colleges but the appeal was not considered. In 2019, in the second phase of allocations, one more appeal was made to Union Health Minister Harshavardhan. Similar appeals were made in the third phase too but in vain, he said.

“I will personally come to New Delhi and produce all the documents for your reference. Please get your facts correct and apologise to the people of Telangana for making false comments,” Harish Rao demanded. In the past 60 years, only five medical colleges were set up in Telangana, while the TRS government sanctioned 21 colleges in three phases in the last seven years, he said.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has set a target to set up one medical college in each district. Already, 21 colleges have been sanctioned by the State Government, he further said. “If you (Kishan Reddy) are committed to for the welfare of Telangana, make the Central government sanction 12 colleges to the State. We are prepared to bear the 40 per cent cost for setting them up,” he said.

Stating that the leaders of the saffron party mastered the art of spreading lies, Harish Rao said the BJP leaders claimed that the Central government was contributing Rs 5,000 towards each KCR Kit and also accused that the State government was levying VAT on domestic gas cylinders, he said. “When we challenged them to prove their claims, none dared to respond. On the contrary, they continued false campaigns on social media platforms,” fumed Harish Rao.

Making light of the BJP leaders protests over paddy procurement, the Health Minister said the State government was already procuring paddy and farmers were observing the deceitful tactics of the saffron party. “When Centre can purchase entire paddy produced in Punjab, why it cannot purchase our paddy? Why is this discrimination towards Telangana,” asked Harish Rao. “On one hand, the Centre is saying they will not procure paddy from Telangana but the BJP leaders here are asking farmers to cultivate paddy. Such is the communication between New Delhi and Telangana BJP leaders,” he said.

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