Hyderabad: A discussion in the Telangana Assembly on the Central government’s failure to allocate funds as mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act snowballed into a slanging match between the treasury and opposition benches on Wednesday.
While the Congress said the step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state, the BRS said that wisdom is dawning on the Congress government about the intransigent attitude of the BJP-led central government.
The BJP MLAs, however, defended the Central government and said it does not discriminate against any state and opined the discussion is being held to divert attention.
Starting the discussion after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made his initial remarks on the allocations to the state, IT minister D. Sridhar Babu said, “The Budget steered clear of the 35 promises made to Telangana in the law. This is an affront to Telangana. Even the node between Hyderabad and Bengaluru corridor is located in AP. This is the step-motherly treatment for state. About Rs 15,000 crores was given to AP and permissions granted to projects there. Despite having heritage temples like Ramappa and Bhadrachalam, primacy was given to Bihar. How can the nation become a bulk drug hub without Hyderabad?”
The BJP has eight MPs from Telangana. However, its party does not grant ITIR, Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, defence corridor, bulk drug park to Telangana. But Gujarat, HP and AP got them. The proposed greenfield mega textile park has been turned into a brown field park and fund allocation reduced from Rs 5,000 crores to Rs 200 crores. National project status was sought for Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation project but was not given, he added.
BRS working president KTR while welcoming the resolution said the situation is courtesy the lack of representation to the party in Parliament. “Former chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao was blamed for being confrontational with the Centre. The reality is being understood by the CM now. The Centre constituted the Krishna tribunal only because of us. The Centre did not give national project status to Seetharama or Palamuru Rangareddy projects. The state government will be questioned on the six guarantees they made.”
The Chief Minister on his part blamed the BRS for standing by the BJP on all occasions between 2014-21 and helped pass bills in Rajya Sabha. He cited GST bill, demonetization, election of president Ramnath Kovind, agriculture laws among others.
BRS floor leader A. Maheshwar Reddy said the discussion is being held to divert attention. He averred the state was helped by denying special status to AP. The people know the promise was given against norms. Having made many promises Congress is unable to implement them, he added.
