TRS MPs to boycott Prez address to Parliament

AS a mark of protest for not accepting the demands of Telangana and for failing to fulfill the assurances made in the AP Reorganisation Act, the TRS MPs will boycott the President's address to the joint session of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in Parliament on the first day of the budget session that begins on Monday.

Meanwhile, a highly-disappointed TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao has asked the party MPs to raise their voice against the BJP government in Parliament by giving them a booklet of issues to be raised in both the Houses in the coming days.

According to party sources, the TRS chief was displeased with the attitude of the Centre for not supporting progressive State like Telangana. Sources said that the TRS chief asked the party MPs not to compromise on the issues concerning the State and also asked them to take the support of other opposition parties, if needed, to get the due share of the State.

"The party chief is upset with the BJP government. The State should have got its share, but the Centre was denying this. He said that the betrayal should not be tolerated and there should be no compromise," said an MP. There is a lot of common ground for political parties to fight against the Centre.

The BJP has given a lot of ground for us to fight against it, he added further. The TRS chief said that there was no support from the Centre to the State even though there were statutory provisions which advocated support. The State's share in terms of taxes was increasing, but there was no reciprocation. What was due was also not coming, hence the Chief Minister was angry, said the TRS MP. He also said that the TRS was the only saviour for the people of Telangana and the interests of the people of the State were paramount for TRS, the MP added.

Sources said that the TRS MPs were given a booklet with 23 issues on which they should raise their voices as and when they get an opportunity in Parliament. The party leaders said that the State had to get funds under the backward district development.

The Finance Commission has recommended funds to Telangana, Tripura and Karnataka under GST losses. Similarly, the NITI Aayog has recommended funds for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya, but there was no response from the Centre, the TRS MP said. Talking to media after the meeting, TRS MP G Ranjith Reddy

said that they have discussed in detail the issues to be raised in Parliament. The Chief Minister has already raised several issues, including pending dues by writing letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Ministers. He said that the party would talk on the budget points after seeing the budget.