Good economics is good politics: KTR

Despite an inimical union government and covid pandemic, Telangana emerged as the best performing State in any parameter, KTR said while participating in a programme on 'Challenges of Being a Young State'

Hyderabad: Stating that good economics was good politics, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said Telangana, which was once a power deficit State, emerged as a power surplus State and would be supplying power to deficit States next year.

In 2014, Telangana’s installed power capacity was 8700 MW and it has increased to 18,000 MW. By next year, it would be further enhanced to 26,000 MW and Telangana would be in a position to supply power to deficit States, he said.

---

Similarly, Telangana would be the first State in the country to have one medical college in each district. All this would be achieved with zero contribution from union government, the Minister said while participating in an programme on “Challenges of Being a Young State” here on Friday.

“Despite an inimical union government and covid pandemic, Telangana emerged as the best performing State in any parameter, including education, health and others,” Rama Rao said. Prior to formation of Telangana, there were apprehensions among many sections but soon after formation of Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao focused on basics of delivering justice in water resources, funds allocation and employment, he recalled.

Accordingly, the Per Capita Income of Telangana which was Rs.1.12 lakh in 2014 increased to Rs.3.17 lakh in 2023. Likewise, the State GSDP, which was 5.05 lakh crore escalated to 13.27 lakh crore in 2023. After completing the world’s largest lift irrigation project- Kaleshwaram, which aided in supplying water to 45 lakh acres and triggering creation of wealth outside Hyderabad, the State government was taking up Palamuru Rangareddy Lift irrigation project to address irrigation and drinking water requirements of Southern Telangana. Hopefully, it would be completed by October this year, he said.

The Minister was very critical of the lack of support extended to high performing States like Telangana. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge in 2014, there were lot of expectations. Telangana Government supported the BJP Government in demonetisation, One Nation and One Tax and other issues but in return, Telangana was discriminated, he said. Despite Niti Aayog’s recommendations to allocate Rs.19,000 crore to Mission Bhagiratha and Rs.5000 crore to Mission Kakatiya, the union government did not consider supporting Telangana, he said.

“When entire world was hailing Telangana for constructing Kaleshwaram project, there was not a word of appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will ensure that BJP was ousted from power in 2024,” Rama Rao said.

Centre and State relations

Stressing that stronger States make Stronger country, the Minister said the union government should raise above petty political considerations. Hyderabad is replete with defence PSUs and when an appeal was made to union government to sanction the defence industrial Corridor, it was approved for Bhundelkand, which had zero defence ecosystem, he said.

Similarly, the State Government had stopped from participating Niti Aayog’s meetings since last four years as our opinions and suggestions were disregarded, he said adding “We were humiliated and insulted”. Responding to a question from the audience on the need to set up an institution or workout a mechanism to pitch for State Government’s demands, especially in terms of tax devolution, the Minister said tax devolution was constitutional right of States.

There should be an institution involving experts from different fields. They should do the SWOT analysis of States and allocate projects and funds accordingly. The union government should play the role of a big brother and make the States play to their strengths, he suggested. Citing the Manipur incident, which put India to shame, the Minister said as an Indian everyone should condemn it widely.

Admitting that India was culturally diverse and opiniated society, the Minister stressed that focus should be on addressing on basic issues like drinking water, road connectivity and power rather than fighting on religion caste, geographical barriers. “Telangana government is inclusive and never discriminated any migrant and they all have been welcomed. Hyderabad is a cosmopolitan city and we need to keep this intact” Rama Rao said.

Leveraging economy

The Minister emphasized on radically leveraging economy by raising loans and investing in infrastructure. Taking serious exceptions to opposition parties narrative on rising debts, he said Telangana had raised loans and constructed irrigation projects, invested in infrastructure, executed projects like Mission Bhagiratha and these initiatives helped in improving the standards of people living in the State, he added.