TS received only Rs 3.7 lakh cr, not Rs 10 lakh cr: Deputy CM

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday found fault with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy's recent statement that the Centre had given Rs 10 lakh crore to Telangana in the last 10 years. The State received only Rs 3,70,235 crore; the Union minister’s comment is misleading, he charged.

Participating in the meet the press programme in the city, Vikramarka dared the Centre to come out with a statistical data on the release of funds to the State during the 10-year BJP rule.

He also took a broadside at the BRS government for putting the state in a deep financial crisis with Rs 7 lakh-crore debt burden before the Congress took the reins last year. The deputy CM questioned former CM K Chandrashekhar for diverting Rs 7,000 crore meant for the Rythu Bandhu scheme before the elections and leaving the State exchequer with zero balance.

The Finance Minister came down heavily on the previous government for releasing water indiscriminately during the elections, causing a huge water crisis in the summer this year across the State.

“The State would not have faced a drinking water crisis if the Mission Bhagiratha was a successful project”, he said. “The government is making all efforts to ensure no drinking water crisis in Hyderabad in summer. An amount of Rs.100 crore has been made available to address the drinking water crisis,” he added.

The Deputy CM exuded confidence that the government would rule the State for five years against all obstacles being created by the rival parties. ‘Efforts are being made to increase the State revenues without putting any additional tax burden on people’, he asserted.