KTR writes to Centre for funds in Union Budget
The Telangana government was committed to spurring growth and development in towns. The BJP government should allocate requisite funds to Telangana and prove its commitment towards the State, he said.
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Sunday wrote to the Centre seeking allocation of sufficient funds in the union Budget 2023-24 for development of different towns and cities in Telangana.
Reminding the Centre that the Telangana government had made several requests seeking assistance for taking up different development works in Hyderabad and other towns, he said each time the State submitted proposals, there was only disappointment.
The Telangana government was committed to spurring growth and development in towns. The BJP government should allocate requisite funds to Telangana and prove its commitment towards the State, he said.
The Centre should either grant sufficient funds for different development works being taken up in Hyderabad, Warangal and other ULBs, or else announce special packages for Hyderabad and Warangal cities, he said.
Due to the union government’s discrimination towards Telangana, not a single rupee was sanctioned additionally to the State. However, despite the step-motherly treatment, Telangana was witnessing rapid progress in ULBs and other sectors, he said.
Stating that Telangana was surging ahead with its financial prudence and was one of the leading States contributing to the Centre through different taxes, the Minister wanted the Centre to extend more support to better performing States.
Since this would be the last financial budget to be presented by the BJP government, the Minister urged the union government to allocate sufficient funds to Telangana.
“The BJP government should sanction more funds and incentives to better performing States and prove its commitment in safeguarding the federal spirit,” Rama Rao said.
Considering rapid urbanization and with already 47 per cent of the people in Telangana living in urban areas, the State government was taking up different development works with special focus on infrastructure improvement. Towards this, the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019 was brought out which included a mandatory provision of 10 per cent of ULB Budget as ‘Green Budget’ and self-certification based single window online approval system for building approvals (TSbPASS Act).
The Minister also listed out various urban infrastructure projects planned and initiated by the State government with its own funds. These included the Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP), Strategic Nala Development Project (SNDP), Comprehensive Road Maintenance Project (CRMP), Hyderabad Road Development Corporation (HRDC), Musi River Development Corporation (MRDC) and Telangana Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDC) among others.
KTR’s demands
• In-principle approval and assistance for Rs.6,250 crore-Hyderabad Airport Express Metro Project
• Rs.450 crore (15 percent equity) for Mass Rapid Transit System in Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration area covering 20 km and costing Rs.3,050 crores
• Metro Rail’s Viability Gap Funding of Rs.254 crore pending since five years
• Rs.750 crore for Solid Waste Management projects like bio-mining, Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants installation, waste-water treatment projects being taken up with Rs.3777 crore
• Rs.240 crore for SNDP
• One-third cost of Rs.8,684 crores for 41 STPs and 2,232 km-sewer network
• Rs.400 crore under Swachh Bharat Mission funds to Hyderabad
• Ten percent of Rs.34,500 crore earmarked for Musi Riverfront Development and East West Express Way (Rs.11,500 crore), SRDP II (Rs.14,000 crore), Elevated Corridors (Rs.9,000 crore)
• Rs.800 crore to construct link roads in 104 corridors
• Rs.500 crore to ease traffic congestion on National Highway 65
• Seed funding of Rs.100 crore for Telangana Sanitation Hub
• Incentives to GHMC for raising third tranche of municipal bonds
