Centre Not Giving Telangana Anything? Think Again, says Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday held a nearly three-hour-long presentation to debunk claims by the state government and BRS that the Centre had done little for Telangana.

In his presentation, titled ‘Government of India Contribution Towards Development of Telangana’, Kishan Reddy said every sector in the state had received Central assistance in some form or the other, with thousands of crores of rupees dispensed in some cases.

“These are in addition to the loans amounting to a few lakh crores the Telangana government availed of since 2014,” he said.

Kishan Reddy said his effort to place before the people the facts was not targeted at any political party or government. “This is about what the Central government has done in Telangana for welfare, and development programmes, and is about informing people about the Centre’s partnership in endeavour to make Telangana a developed state,” he said.

The slideshow presentation was interspersed with brief videos with short comments from Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking on what his government has done for Telangana on different fronts. The presentation was also shared as a 341-page digital book.

“There are repeated complaints that the Centre does not allow the state to borrow funds citing FRBM limits. This aspect is being used as an excuse to criticise the Centre. My request to the people of Telangana is simple — they should know how much the Government of India has spent on Telangana,” Kishan Reddy said.

Indirectly referencing the BRS over its criticism that the ‘Centre takes a lot and gives back only a little’, Kishan Reddy said: “Some people keep asking us why the Centre that takes a lot in taxes from the state gives back so little. The answer is that in addition to straight devolution of funds, the Centre also spends directly on its own on many welfare schemes and developmental programmes.”

The Centre, Kishan Reddy declared, “has no ill will against Telangana. The Prime Minister keeps telling us that no matter which party is in power in a state, be it BRS, Congress, communists or YSRCP, every state makes up India. We will forward suggestions we receive on this presentation to the Prime Minister and we will continue to serve the state.”

Though he refrained from outright criticism of the state government, Kishan Reddy did mention how the state government delayed Metro Rail construction in Old City, how village sarpanchs across the state were complaining that they are not receiving any funds from the state — but that whatever they get, is from the Centre — and how the state was going slow on acquiring land for the Regional Ring Road project, which is fully funded by the Centre.