Telangana ignored in Union Budget: KTR expresses disappointment

"We hoped that Telugu daughter-in-law, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, would allocate significant funds to Telangana. But what we got is nothing," he stated.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao expressed strong disappointment over the Union Budget, stating that despite high expectations, Telangana was once again neglected.

“We hoped that Telugu daughter-in-law, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, would allocate significant funds to Telangana. But what we got is nothing,” he stated in his response to the Union Budget for 2024-25. He highlighted that despite the Central budget exceeding Rs 48 lakh crore, only a few States received major benefits, with Telangana not being mentioned at all.

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The BRS working president recalled how former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao made numerous requests to the Union government to support the young State of Telangana and fulfill 35 promises made under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. However, there has been no response in the last 10 years.

He pointed out that there were no additional funds for the proposed Tribal University at Mulugu, the promised steel plant at Bayyaram or the railway coach factory at Kazipet. National status for irrigation projects like Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme was also denied, and requests for central institutes like IIM were ignored. Further, appeals for industrial corridors and new handloom and power loom clusters received no response.

Rama Rao criticised the lack of support even when the Congress leaders from Telangana visited Delhi. He urged the people of Telangana to reflect on the lack of representation of regional forces at the Centre and compare the allocations to States like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which gifted more parliamentary seats to the regional parties.

“BJP and Congress MPs did not speak a word for Telangana. If BRS had MPs in Parliament, they would have strongly opposed the Central government’s stance,” he asserted. He warned that Telangana’s people will teach the BJP a lesson for neglecting their State despite having eight MPs.

While expressing goodwill towards Andhra Pradesh, Rama Rao lamented that the Union government did not even mention Telangana when discussing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. “We are happy with the significant funds given to Andhra Pradesh, but it is truly disappointing to see only Andhra Pradesh and Bihar receiving majority funds while the other States are overlooked,” he added.