Harish demands justice for TG from Finance Commn

Hyderabad: BRS leader T Harish Rao on Monday demanded the 16th Finance Commission bring justice for Telangana.

Harish Rao along with MLAs Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and Vivekanand participated in the 16th Finance Commission meeting at Praja Bhavan, representing the BRS Party. The team outlined key proposals to protect Telangana’s rights and push for a fairer share of Central resources. “We have made significant strides since the formation of Telangana. We’ve eliminated power cuts, prevented farmer suicides, and set the stage for prosperity,” Harish Rao said.

Harish Rao emphasised Telangana’s leadership in GDP growth and its status as a model for the nation. However, he expressed concern over discrepancies in the allocation of funds. “Though the Central government promises a 41 per cent tax share, we are only receiving 31 per cent. This mismatch needs to be corrected.” He also criticised the Central government’s use of surcharges and cesses, which are not shared with States. “Despite contributing 20 per cent of the Center’s revenue through these levies, the States aren’t getting their fair share. We urged the Commission to increase the States’ share to 50 per cent.”

Harish Rao highlighted the increase in the Centre’s non-tax revenue, which grew from Rs 171 crore in 1961 to Rs 5.46 lakh crore in 2024-25. “States should also receive a portion of this revenue,” he stated. He then pointed out that successful States like Telangana were being unfairly penalised. “We lead the country in per capita income, yet we’re being punished with reduced shares. That is simply unjust,” Harish Rao said, reminding the Commission of the consistent reduction in Telangana’s share over successive Finance Commissions. “We appealed to the 16th Finance Commission to stop this pattern of injustice and support States that are performing well,” he added.