Centre blind to TS needs: KTR

Hyderabad: Telangana Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao slammed the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for its failure in consenting to the demand for funds for Telangana state in the national budget.

In an informal interaction with media persons, the minister said that the Centre did not accepted even a single demand from Telangana which sought sanction of Rs 19,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha, Rs 5,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya and Rs 10,000 crore for Kaleshwaram.  

He said Telangana government has been requesting the Central government to announce at least one project taken up by the state government as national project and infuse financial succor to the state in meeting the growing financial needs for the implementation of welfare and development programmes. 

He wondered why the Union government was appreciating the state for introducing unique schemes when it had no intention of extending any assistance for the last four years.
The government has already submitted proposals for Rs 40,000 crore including Textile Park, IIM (Indian Institute of Management), AIIMS and so on, KTR said, adding that the others demands unattended included issues like enhancement of reservation to Muslims and ST communities, categorisation of Madigas for purpose of extending reservations and ITER (Information Technology Investment Region).

The TS government has been pursuing its demands with New Delhi, but the pleas were falling on deaf ears. Telangana got a raw deal in the Union cabinet. The lone minister Bandaru Dattatraya was removed in the reshuffle. He said that the people will teach a fitting lesson to BJP in the next general elections. The minister said he is going on a two-day official visit to New Delhi to pursue the state issues with all Union ministries from Thursday.          

The minister further said that NDA also failed in fulfilling the promises and demands from the states ruled by the NDA partners.      

BJP’s political partner Shiv Sena has already announced snapping of ties with NDA. The ties between BJP and other partners including TDP and Akali Dal have now been stretched to the limits. “Neither the NDA partners nor other ruling states are happy with the Centre’s adamant attitude,” he added.

He said that the national parties – BJP and Congress have fallen from grace with the regional parties emerging strong particularly in the south.  “National parties have been reduced to major regional parties”, he added.