There is no separate FRBM Act for TS, Eatala Rajender clears air

Hyderabad: Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender on Sunday lashed out at Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for trying to provoke people by spreading falsehood against the Centre over the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The former Finance minister said there is only one FRBM Act for all States; there is no separate and exclusive FRBM Act that the Centre applies to Telangana.

Addressing the media here he said the CM's hatred towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left him to lose even common sense. He said devolution of tax to States is based on various parameters. "In United AP it was 2.9 per cent and currently for Telangana, it is 2.4 per cent," he added.

Similarly, KCR's allegation of the Centre stopping MGNREGA funds to Telangana is baseless. He said the social audit of MGNREGS works executed is an annual ritual. It is known to people's representatives of the local bodies. The social audit is meant to ensure that funds for the scheme released are not misused.

Eatala said the MGNREGA is composed of two components of labour and material components. The State government has used funds released for the material component and constructed Rythu Vedika, self-help group's buildings, drainage and CC roads. The improvements showcased by the State governments in villages have been taken up under the MGNREGA.

The BJP MLA said it is unbecoming of the CM to claim that funds released under the statute to the State would be stopped by the Centre. "It is meant to spew venom against Modi and to provoke people against the Centre", he pointed out. "The State government is not doing its duty but levelling baseless allegations against the Centre.

He called upon the CM to act more responsibly and said, "the State debt has gone up from Rs 74,000 crore at the time of the creation of separate Telangana to 4.55 lakh crore.

Every newborn in the State has a Rs 1.25 lakh debt burden on their head. About Rs 60,000 crore of the State's total expenditure is going for debt servicing. It comes to about one-third of the total expenditure of Telangana. Everyone has seen the fate of Sri Lanka for taking loans indiscriminately. Telangana is not the fiefdom of the CM and none allows it if it acts in violation of the Constitution, he cautioned.