KTR accuses Centre of discrimination against Telangana

HYDERABAD: Municipal administration and urban development minister K. T. Rama Rao on Friday inaugurated 40 double bedroom houses at Kodgal village in Jadcherla constituency and handed them over to the beneficiaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Rama Rao came down heavily on the BJP-led government at the Centre accusing it of discriminating Telangana in sanctioning new projects and allocation of funds for the past eight years despite repeated requests from Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

Rama Rao said the Chief Minister had personally appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord national status to either Kaleshwaram or Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation projects but there was no response from the Centre.

"When Telangana sought national status for one irrigation project in Telangana like Polavaram in Andhra Pradesh, the Centre told us that it had taken a policy decision that it would not accord national status to any project henceforth. Surprisingly, Upper Bhadra project in the neighbouring Karnataka was accorded a national project status later. Is this because Karnataka is a BJP-ruled state and Telangana is not? Why this discrimination towards Telangana, which is the fourth largest contributor to India's economy?" Rama Rao asked.

Rama Rao said the Centre ignored the request made by the Telangana government to identify the Hyderabad- Bengaluru corridor as an industrial corridor to facilitate setting up of more industries and the creation of employment for youth.

"Irrespective of the lack of Centre’s assistance, the Chief Minister continues to implement many welfare schemes and development programmes. We need people's support and blessings," said Rama Rao.

In the last seven years, villages and towns across the state had witnessed rapid development, he said. "The Congress and the BJP governments are ruling in other states. I challenge the Congress and the BJP leaders to showcase the development of villages in their states and compare it with those in Telangana," said Rama Rao.

Under the Palle Pragathi programme, the government was extending monthly financial assistance promptly to each gram panchayat across the state. Each Panchayat was now provided with a water tanker, tractor, nursery and other facilities, he said.

Rama Rao reminded the problems faced by people before the formation of Telangana state in 2014, especially women, who had to walk long distances to fetch a pot of drinking water. But now safe drinking water was being provided in all households across the state under Mission Bhagiratha, he said.

In Nalgonda district, for the last 65 years, over two lakh people were affected with fluorosis, despite the Krishna river flowing through the district. Previous state governments failed to address this decades-old issue but the TRS government addressed the issue through the provision of safe drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha, he said.

"There are no more fluorosis cases in Nalgonda. This was disclosed on record in Parliament by the Centre," said Rama Rao adding no other state could compete with Telangana in terms of the development of villages.