Harish slams Centre for reducing funds to Telangana

"The Centre has been reducing the rightful share of funds to Telangana State rather than providing more funds to the progressive State which has been contributing to the nation's development," he said

Hyderabad: Tearing into the false claims of BJP, Finance Minister T Harish Rao slammed the BJP government at the Centre for cutting down funds to the tune of over Rs 20,000 crore to Telangana State. “The Centre has been reducing the rightful share of funds to Telangana State rather than providing more funds to the progressive State which has been contributing to the nation’s development,” he said, and demanded of the BJP leaders to spell out their contribution towards development of Telangana State since the BJP-led government came into power in 2014.

Interacting with members of Telangana State RMP and PMP Doctors Association, Telangana Human Rights-cum-Media Organisation and Telangana State High Court Advocates Association here on Wednesday, the Minister said as per the Constitution, the Centre should release 42 per cent of tax collections as devolutions to the States. He said implementing new parameters through the Planning Commission, the Centre had reduced Telangana’s share in tax devolutions from 2.43 per cent to 2.13 per cent and thus, causing a loss of about Rs 14,500 crore in budget allocations.

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He pointed out that the Union government had reduced the allocations to the State amounting to Rs 1,140 crore under 13th Finance Commission, Rs 817 crore under 14th Finance Commission and a whopping Rs 15,000 crore under 15th Finance Commission as well as Rs 950 crore under Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF). “The national growth rate has come down from ‘plus 8’ per cent to ‘minus 8’ per cent resulting in the steep fall of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The BJP leaders must speak on their contribution to the State and its development,” he said, adding that since the Union government had decreased subsidy on fertilizers by around Rs 1 lakh crore in the recent Union Budget, the prices of fertilizers could witness a surge soon.

Harish Rao lambasted the BJP government for privatising national assets like BSNL, LIC, railways and the airlines in the name of disinvestment from loss-making companies. As efforts have begun for privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, he stated that one need not be surprised if the Centre decides to privatise companies like Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad. “Rather than providing new jobs, the BJP government is making efforts to make many employees jobless,” he said.

He urged people to consider the development under the TRS government in the State over the last six-seven years in irrigation, drinking water, education, health, agriculture and power among other sectors before casting their vote in the MLC elections.

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