Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao demands Rs 24,000 crore from Centre for schemes
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao continued his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA government in the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
Mr Rao said states have to lobby (pyravi) to secure funds from the Centre and Mr Modi’s talk of cooperative federalism was only an eyewash.
He said he was happy when Mr Modi established Niti Aayog and talked about Team India and cooperative federalism — involving states in all major policy decisions 1 but his joy was short-lived as there was no change in the functioning of the government. “Why should the Centre have powers in education, health, urban and rural development?” the CM asked, and dema-nded that the Centre im-mediately transfer these powers to the states.
“It is unfortunate that the states have to do pradakshina (the practice of walking around temples by devotees) in Delhi around the Centre to seek funds for various schemes. When Mr Modi held the first meeting of Niti Aayog and invited CMs of all states, we felt very happy that he talked about cooperative federalism. I was elated by the PM’s words and believed that India will now make fast progress. But all that enthusiasm was lost within no time as no qualitative change was found in administration. The Centre still wants states to be under its control and wants states to remain at its mercy,” Mr Rao said.
Mr Rao took strong exception to the Centre monitoring payments to farmers and agricultural labourers under MNREGA from Delhi while the work is done in villages under the jurisdiction of state governments. “Why should the Centre keep even such minute things under its control? Niti Aayog constituted by the PM had appreciated Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya implemented by Telangana and recommended Rs 19,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore respectively for two years. We should get Rs 24,000 crore based on this, but we have not got even Rs 24 so far. Despite TS being eligible to claim funds from the Centre, we are forced to to pyravi (lobby) to get funds, which is sad and unfortunate,” he said.
He said to bring about a qualitative change in the functioning of the Centre and state governments and Centre-state relations, he has proposed an alternative front minus the BJP and Congress, since both these parties have failed in br-inging any qualitative changes despite ruling for 70 years.
