Union Budget meted out raw deal to Telangana

Hyderabad: Congress senior leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy on Friday said the Union Budget had meted out a raw deal to Telangana State. Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan, Shashidhar Reddy recalled that the TRS MPs and Ministers had demanded national status for Pranahitha-Cehevella project. But the same leaders had not raised a similar demand for Kaleshwaram project.

The TRS government redesigned Pranahitha-Chevella project only to “swallow money” of Telangana people. The Centre would bear 90 per cent funds if the project was accorded national status. But the TRS government had failed to raise such a demand and thus forcing the people to bear huge financial burden for the Kaleshwaram project.

He demanded that the Centre accord national status to Kaleshwaram project and the State government mount pressure on the Centre in this regard. He criticised the Centre for ignoring the interests of Telangana State, He felt that it was correct to keep the Greater Hyderabad city unit of the Congress party without head. “There will be no problem even if Danam Nagender is retained as party’s city unit president. The party should give clarity on the issue,” he said.