Hyderabad: Telangana Finance minister T Harish Rao has once again criticized the BJP central government for adapting two different sets of policies: one for Northern and another for the Southern Indian States.
The Minister was speaking to the media on the occasion of inaugurating Divisional engineer building, electricity revenue office with a cost of Rs 1.71 crore. The people of Husnabad had to go to either Siddipet or Karimnagar for the solution of their electricity issues. But a 220/132 KV substation at Husnabad has been approved with the cost of Rs.50 cr. The Minister instructed officials to complete the substation by March 31.
Rao said, “Rs.40,000 crore were decreased for FCI in the budget presented in the parliament. The paddy procurement is also likely to be lowered in future with decrease in subsidies for the farmers.”
“In Northern India Urea and DAP is mostly used for agriculture whereas in South India Complex fertilizer is widely used. In view of the UP elections the prices of the Urea and DAP have not been increased while the prices of complex fertilizer have been increased,” Rao said.
“The states had the GSDP loan facilities at 4% which has been reduced to 3.5 %. The States are being forced for electricity reforms to get the remaining 0. 5%. The Chief Minister KCR can get Rs.5,000 cr from the Center if he undertakes the reforms but he is not ready to do so as it requires fixing electric meters for agricultural wells. The Telangana Government spends Rs.12,000 cr for electricity subsidy to provide 24 hours free electricity to the farmers,” Rao informed.
Rao also criticized the Central Government for decreasing subsidies to farmers and increasing the cooking gas prices.