Harish Rao slams Congress over deceptive State Budget

Accuses Congress government of misplaced priorities, exaggerated claims and unfulfilled promises

Hyderabad: Terming the State Budget a bundle of lies, former Finance Minister and BRS MLA T Harish Rao charged the ruling party with misleading the public with exaggerated claims, unfulfilled promises and deceptive budgeting.

He likened Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s Budget speech to a political rhetoric rather than a financial roadmap for implementing the much-hyped Six Guarantees and instead, attempting to mislead the public on key welfare schemes.

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Slamming the Congress for its deceptive budgeting, Harish Rao targeted the Congress over its much-hyped Six Guarantees. He pointed out that the Congress government promised interest-free loans worth Rs 1 lakh crore to women but, in reality, capped it at just Rs 5 lakh. “The government is forcing women to pay interest on the remaining Rs 15 lakh which is a clear case of cheating,” he said.

He also exposed discrepancies in the Rs 75 stitching charges for school dresses for students, stating that the actual amount given was only Rs 50, despite the government claiming otherwise last fiscal. “They repeated the same false claim in both budgets,” he remarked. On ration cards, he countered the Congress’ claim that the previous BRS government did not distribute any, citing the 6.47 lakh ration cards issued during the BRS regime.

A deeper examination of the Budget suggests misplaced priorities, with key welfare initiatives seemingly neglected or inadequately funded. The BRS legislator pointed out that while women were denied Rs 2,500 monthly financial aid under Mahalakshmi, Rs 250 crore was allocated for Miss India beauty pageant. Such contradictions raise an essential question: Is the government prioritising optics over genuine welfare, he asked.

Similarly, the Rs 4,000 social security pension promised under Cheyutha failed to materialise even in the latest Budget and existing pensions have been delayed for two months, with 1.5 lakh beneficiaries reportedly removed. “If pensions are being cut, where is the money being redirected?” he asked.

On farmer welfare, he criticised the incomplete loan waiver scheme, stating that many farmers had not received relief despite repeated assurances. “The government is making it appear as if the loan waivers are completed, but thousands, including 10,150 farmers in my own constituency, have been left out,” he said.

Telangana’s economic growth numbers also appear to tell a less flattering story than what the Deputy Chief Minister claims. Harish Rao pointed out that under BRS, the State’s GSDP growth rate was 12.9 per cent, while under Congress, it had fallen to 10.1 per cent. Similarly, per capita income growth had dropped from 12.4 per cent to 9.6 per cent.

He blamed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for turning Telangana into an alcohol-dependent State, citing increasing excise revenue targets to Rs 50,000 crore i.e., Rs 12,000 crore-Rs 13,000 crore more than under BRS.

“Revanth Reddy is turning Telangana into a drunkard’s paradise,” he remarked, highlighting the government’s aggressive push to boost liquor sales.

Another significant area of criticism was the failure to complete irrigation projects. The Congress had claimed to have finished six projects last year and promised to complete 12 more this year. But he challenged them to name even one completed project, exposing a gap between announcements and execution.

The situation in minority welfare appears equally grim. Despite announcing Rs.3,000 crore for minorities in last budget, only Rs.1,000 crore has been spent. The government has not only failed to appoint a minority minister but has also neglected flagship programmes like Shaadi Mubarak.

Harish Rao also slammed the Congress for failing to allocate Rs 20,000 crore for the BC sub-plan, stating that only Rs.10,000 crore was included in the budget. He questioned the inflated figures for central funds, highlighting discrepancies in MGNREGS and mid-day meal allocations. He termed the State Budget as a clear betrayal of people, filled with juggling numbers and empty promises.