Implement Telangana’s schemes, Harish Rao demands BJP, Congress

Narayanpet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Monday urged the BJP and Congress to refrain from making baseless accusations and demanded both the national parties to implement Telangana’s welfare and development programmes in other States. Speaking after laying the foundation stone for Rs 78 crore worth development works including a 390-bed hospital and T Diagnostic […]

Narayanpet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Monday urged the BJP and Congress to refrain from making baseless accusations and demanded both the national parties to implement Telangana’s welfare and development programmes in other States.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for Rs 78 crore worth development works including a 390-bed hospital and T Diagnostic centre in the district on Monday, the Minister lashed out at BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, stating that he was misguiding people during his padayatra.

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“Despite the Central government washing its hands off over paddy procurement from Telangana, the State government was procuring every grain produced in the State at MSP of Rs 1,960 per quintal,” Harish Rao pointed out, adding that farmers from neighbouring Karnataka were making vain attempts to sell their produce in Narayanpet because of Telangana government’s MSP and timely procurement.

“If the BJP government in Karnataka is procuring paddy, why will their farmers try to sell their stocks in Telangana?” he questioned.

Similarly, Telangana government was extending 24-hour quality supply to the farming community against the six-hour power supply in BJP-ruled States, he said, and pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting at Mahabubnagar in 2014, had assured national status to Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PRLI) scheme. It has been eight years since Modi made that promise but the Central government is yet to deliver on it. Interestingly, the BJP government accorded national status to Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka and Polavaram in Andhra Pradesh, he said appealing the people to bear in mind the Central Government’s discrimination towards Telangana.

He further said that the Central Government had not sanctioned a single project approved under the AP Reorganisation Act. Coach factory was approved at Kazipet but the BJP Government had set up the factory in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 22,000 crore, he said, adding “Next time, when the BJP leaders come here, question them up for discrimination towards Telangana.”

Regarding the BJP’s claims of financial assistance to rural local bodies, the Minister said the Telangana government had spent a whopping Rs 11,711 crore under Pattana and Palle Pragathi programmes. “If the Centre was extending financial assistance, why would panchayats in other States lack water tankers, trolleys, dumping yards, Vaikuntadhamams and other facilities?” the Minister asked.

“I demand Bandi Sanjay to prevail upon the Centre and get the dues sanctioned to Telangana, besides national status to PRLI,” Harish Rao said.

Slamming the Congress, he said former Ministers Nagam Janardhan Reddy and DK Aruna had failed to ensure any development in erstwhile Mahabubnagar. Being a Health Minister, Nagam Janardhan Reddy could not get a single medical college while the TRS government was setting up four medical colleges in the erstwhile Palamuru, he pointed out.