TRS MPs gird up loins for fight with Centre

Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs decided to fight against the Union government regarding the long pending demands put forth by the State government. The MPs decided to broach the demands in the ensuing budget session of the Parliament on March 5.

TRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao chaired the TRS Parliamentary Party (TRSPP) meeting at his camp office in Pragati Bhavan and discussed the strategy to be adopted in the two houses of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the session.

Addressing the media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said that his government had been demanding to increase quota for Minorities and STs in the education and employment. The implementation of the promises of establishment of AIIMs, Horticulture and Tribal university, railway coach factory, Byyaram steel factory and industrial incentives offered under AP Reorganisation act were still unfulfilled. 

The Chief Minister said that his government was also demanding to include agriculture related activities under employment guarantee scheme. K Chandrashekar Rao wondered why the Centre was not responding positively on the enhancement of reservations. The Indian constitution provided a provision in article 64 (4) for the increase of reservations. 

Centre had been given authority to increase the reservations. TRS government was demanding that the Centre accord permission to the State to increase the quota but the Centre did not want to lose its powers on the issue, he said. 

TRS party MPs will raise all the issues in the Parliament and demand that the Centre fulfil its promises, he added. The Chief Minister also said NITI AYOG extolled State government for implementing the best welfare and developmental schemes like Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha and recommended that the Centre grant additional funds but the Union government did not respond to the State’s plea for more money, he said. 

The Chief Minister said that he along with his cabinet colleagues and MPs met the central authorities for several times seeking additional funds. Telangana had got funds only 50 per cent of the total revenues contributed to the central exchequer from the State, he added.