No proposal from TS gets Finance Minister\'s nod

HYDERABAD: The union budget on Friday came as a rude shock to the state government, which had high hopes of getting pending funds and projects in the budget.

The state government sought nearly Rs 60,000 crore towards pending funds and projects. None of the demands or requests made by the state government found a mention in the budget.

Angered at this, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) decided to stall the budget session of Parliament demanding funds and projects for Telangana. TRS MPs already boycotted President's address to Parliament on Monday alleging the Centre's discrimination towards Telangana. The TRS MPs will continue their agitation programmes in Parliament in the budget session to press their demands.

The Telangana government sought national status for Kaleshwaram project, setting up of IIM, Navodaya Vidayalayas, Bayyaram steel factory, Kazipet railway coach factory, tribal university, six industrial corridors, funds to Kakatiya mega textile park, Hyderabad Pharma City, revival of ITIR Hyderabad, Rs 25,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya etc but no announcements were made in this regard in the budget.

Ahead of the budget, for the first time, the Chief Minister and his ministers wrote a series of letters to union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the past one month seeking funds and projects for Telangana in union budget 2022-23.
Minister for industries, IT, MA&UD, handlooms and textiles K. T. Rama Rao, finance minister T. Harish Rao and tribal welfare minister Satyavathi Rathod wrote to Nirmala Sitharaman and other union ministers seeking nearly Rs 60,000 crore to Telangana in the budget while former MP B. Vinod Kumar wrote to railway minister seeking completion of pending railway projects and announcement of new railway lines for Telangana in the railway budget.

Rama Rao sought Rs 22,757 crore for his departments which include Rs 7,800 crore for urban development, Rs 954 crore for textiles and handlooms, Rs 14,000 crore for Hyderabad Pharma City,  besides seeking revival of Hyderabad ITIR project, national project status to either Kaleshwaram or Palamuru Rangareddy project.

Harish Rao sought Rs 5,205 crore for Mission Kakatiya, Rs 19,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha as recommended by Niti Aayog, Rs 723 crore special grant, Rs 495 crore CSS funds diverted to AP in 2014-15, IGST arrears Rs 210 crore, local bodies grants Rs 817 crore and BRDF arrears Rs 900 crore.

Vinod Kumar sought Rs 10,000 crore for pending railway projects. Satyavathi Rathod sought 'national festival status' to Medaram Jatara and sanction Rs 300 crore for the same.

This apart, the state government has been demanding the Centre to fulfil promises made to Telangana in AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, such as setting up of tribal university, Bayyaram steel factory, Kazipet railway coach factory etc. and announce them in the union budget.