A Step Towards Good Federalism: Revanth, Bhatti seek Centre’s handholding

New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Telangana government has made its first positive move in the direction of federalism and has urged the Centre to extend handholding so that the state can be back on rail in terms of economic stability and implement the welfare schemes it had promised to the people.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his deputy Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka had a 30-minute meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday. They urged the Prime Minister to extend cooperation for the development of the state and hoped that this meeting will be a beginning in the new chapter in the Central-state relationship which got ruptured during the regime of the previous BRS government.

Later talking to the media, Bhatti said they had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister regarding the state financial situation. They also gave a copy of the white paper on finances which was presented to the state Assembly recently and urged him to direct the Union Finance Ministry to come to their rescue.

He said the state government would give top priority to safeguard the interests of Telangana. He said they told Modi that the State government had accorded top priority to recovery of state finances, construction of Irrigation projects and the strengthening of Education and Health sectors.

Bhatti said they had requested the PM to see that all the pending issues in the AP State Re-Organisation Act were resolved at the earliest. They also emphasised on the setting up of the Bayyaram Steel Plant, Kazipet Railway Coach Factory, ITIR (Information Technology Investment Region) in Hyderabad and declare the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project as a national project.

Among other issues that were raised during the meeting were to sanction IIM (Indian Institute of Management) and Sainik School in Hyderabad and upgradation of 14 national highways, release of grants for backward areas development and the release of Rs 1,800 crore pending grants from 2019 to 2023-2024 financial year. Modi was also requested to help the state in getting Rs 400 crore funds which were due to the state but have been pending since 2019 and 2021.

Both Revanth and Bhatti said the Prime Minister had responded positively to their plea and expressed hope that the Centre would extend its cooperation to the state government.