Raining ‘revdis’ in Gujarat, but no funds for non-BJP ruled states

By Anil Kumar Hyderabad: It pays to have a former Chief Minister of the State as the Prime Minister. Any doubts? Look at Gujarat, where there is a heavy downpour of sops and even ‘revdis’ announced by none other than the man who denounced what he called the ‘revdi’ culture. Even while States like Telangana […]

By Anil Kumar

Hyderabad: It pays to have a former Chief Minister of the State as the Prime Minister. Any doubts? Look at Gujarat, where there is a heavy downpour of sops and even ‘revdis’ announced by none other than the man who denounced what he called the ‘revdi’ culture.

Even while States like Telangana have been waiting for years after repeated requests for grants and other funds to the tune of Rs 34,149.71 crore due to the State from the Centre, apart from repeatedly being denied several projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Central investments worth a staggering Rs 80,000 crore to Gujarat in just six months.

In his latest visit to his home State, the Prime Minister unveiled projects worth a whopping Rs 29,000 crore, including the world’s first CNG terminal at Bhavnagar, Phase I of Metro in Ahmedabad and Phase I of the Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City in Surat.

Non-BJP-ruled States are already pointing out that as a Prime Minister, the people of India expect a more inclusive attitude from Modi, who they say seldom promotes other States at global summits, but never misses an opportunity to project Gujarat as a model State.

Condemning Modi’s bias towards Gujarat, IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao recently tweeted: “Is this Democracy or Modicracy or plain Hypocrisy? For Gujarat, To Gujarat by the PM of Gujarat. It is NOT “Revdi” if it is meant for Gujarat.”

Even during the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in 2021, Modi announced investments worth several crores and inaugurated the Purvanchal Expressway constructed at a cost of Rs 22,497 crore, the Kushinagar International Airport and flagged off a slew of development schemes. At that time, he never spoke about the ‘revdi’ culture, which he is now using to target opposition parties.

Other States, meanwhile, have to request and plead, but remain empty-handed, even for their rightful grants. Take the case of Telangana, for which the 15th Finance Commission recommended a grant of Rs 2,350 crore for the operation and maintenance of Mission Bhagiratha, the flagship programme of the State government. Though the Centre recently awarded the programme, the funds are yet to come.

The State is yet to forget the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project, for which the UPA government granted approval in 2013 and released Rs 165 crore. The Rs 4,863-crore project was scrapped by the Modi government. The project in Hyderabad was supposed to bring direct revenues of Rs 3.11 lakh crore, growth of IT exports of Rs 2.35 lakh crore, direct employment for 1.5 million people and an increase in tax revenue to the State of over Rs 30,000 crore over 25 years.

Then the WHO-Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, which was supposed to be set up in Hyderabad, was moved to Jamnagar in Gujarat. The rail coach factory, supposed to be set up at Kazipet in Warangal as per the AP Reorganisation Act, was shifted to Latur in Maharastra by the Centre.

On the other hand, apart from the shower of investments, Modi also announced the extension of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana’ (PMGKAY) in poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The extension would cost the Centre an additional Rs 44,762 crore.